Tango
by Sisterspy
Summary: Sark wants to work for APO and Vaughn never got over Lauren. When a mission goes sideways Sark takes Sydney to his home, another Rambaldi prophecy concerns the both of them. But what is his ulterior motive for working with APO? And why is Sydney getting these strange dreams.
1. Chapter 1

_Author notes: So if you're just starting to read this and you like it, I suggest you visit the Pinterest board I made to accompany this fic. So if it says anywhere that you should find something on Google or on youtube, just please go to the Pinterest site. You will find the pictures and songs there. You can find it by going to Pinterest. co m and then write behind that tangosisterspy It will get you there!_

Sark ran, Espinosa right behind him. He ran through a gate, but suddenly stopped.

"Come on!" He yelled.

As she went through the gate he smacked it to her face. She was out cold.

"Sydney!" This was his chance.

It took her a minute to get there, gun raised.

"I'm a man of my word." Suspiciously she looked at Espinosa, flat on the floor. She approached, gun still trained on him

"You could always just thank me."

She gave him the all too familiar Bristow glare.

"You've just betrayed someone that broke you free from our custody and was your partner." A statement.

"If you're implying that I staged the escape because I was working with her before you're mistaken." She lowered her gun. "Somehow I find that very hard to believe, why else would she free you?" He smirked. "She said that she was familiar with my reputation and when she saw her chance to work with me, she took it" She gave him a sarcastic look.

"I guess she wasn't familiar with the flexibility of your loyalties and that under whatever circumstances, you're only loyal to yourself." It almost made him laugh. "Yes, unfortunately for Ms. Espinosa I wasn't as impressed by her skills as by yours." A brief moment of surprise on her face and a slight redness of her cheeks betrayed her.

"I'd still very much like to work with you, you know." Agent Vaughn entered upon their conversation, out of breath, his frown grew deep upon seeing Anna on the floor and Sark and Sydney in conversation. He eyed Sydney's lowered gun and raised his own to Sark.

"Syd?"

Sydney gave him a slight smile in a quick glance. "It's okay Vaughn." She put her hand on his, lowering his gun. "Sark knocked out Anna, and I suppose that in return he wants to work with APO."

"What?!"

20 hours later

Sydney entered the conference room. Sark was standing there, on his shoulder a hand, Sloane's.

"Sydney."

Sloane gave her a bright smile.

"Mr. Sark has decided to join us at APO. And I believe him to be an asset to our division."

The same image, from years before appeared before her eyes.

"That's what you said last time." She stood there, arms crossed, defensive.

"Only this time I have no intention of bringing down my own division." Sloane mocked her and she hated it.

"Sir, with all due respect, but how do you expect me to work with someone that has been a known terrorist for so long, with such questionable loyalties. Who now all of the sudden wants to work with us? How do we know he doesn't have a secret agenda?"

Sloane walked over to Sydney, still smiling.

"I expect you to accept this, just as you accepted to work for me again. I'm sure the same motivation applies. You'll be able to keep a close tab on everything he does and when he makes a misstep, you'll be the one to bring him down."

Sydney sighed in defeat "Okay, what's his deal?"

"I'm assigning you to be his handler at APO, for the rest I expect you two to be in the field together on a regular basis. I imagine you'll be quiet a team." Another sigh, she glanced at Sark, a huge smirk covered his face. She moved towards him and held out a hand, he took it.

"Well" another sigh and a slight hesitation "I guess, welcome to the team."

Sloane left.

"That does however not mean that I trust you and the first sign of betrayal will be ended with a bullet through your brains." He didn't let go of her hand, his smirk only seemed to grow.

"I would expect nothing less, I'm very excited for us to work together though, Sydney." She pulled her hand loose from his grip and walked out.

Sydney felt troubled, working with Sark was not going to be easy. She could almost sense the betrayal coming. She went looking for Vaughn hoping for some reassuring words, but only found disappointment.

"You're leaving? What now? Again?!" She saw him clench his teeth.

"Sorry Syd, I just can't deal with this right now. Having Sark here isn't helping either."

"And when exactly are you going to deal with it?" He was leaving, off to his mother in France again. Third time this month for more than just a few days. He wasn't leaving her just to see his mother, he had just left her. Alone. After Ireland he never opened up to her. He'd opened up to a stranger, but refused to talk to her. She was done. Neither of them were the same as before, they might just as well be strangers trying to keep up something that was long past , just as their personalities were long past.

Disappointed, but not heartbroken, maybe even relieved. Vaughn had messed up her ability to deal with her life enough already. No more, she said to herself. It was time for a fun girls night out though. Time to find Nadia.


	2. Chapter 2

"So that was it?! He just left?" Nadia stared at her in unbelief. "I can see why you would need a night out. Come on."

She pulled her sister out of the cab. They'd arrived at a nightclub owned by a mutual contact of Sydney and Nadia. No problem getting in. The club was known for its rich ambiance and Spanish music. Both sisters dressed in rakish dresses; Nadia in purple, Sydney in white. They'd lent their clothing from op-tech. When Nadia had suggested it Sydney at first had turned pale, but the realization that Sloane had made her Sark's handler made her feel like APO should do something for her.

She smiled hearing the music, it has been a long time since she'd went to a club without being on a mission and wearing a wig. They placed themselves on some lounge chairs in a corner and ordered some drinks.

"So now what?" Nadia questioned sipping her drink.

"I guess I'm gonna need maybe a few more drinks and then perhaps I will try and dance." Lost in thought she watched the dance floor, full of happy people. Nadia put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes that too, but I what I meant was, with Vaughn." Sydney finished her drink "Hmmm, Vaughn." She stood up. "We're not the same people that fell in love, he betrayed me. Finally he had a chance of getting me back, and he failed to take it."

After some dancing, flirting and more drinks Sydney had lost all the troubles that had lowered her spirit before. She could just be herself and felt happy. Both sisters had taken a break and were getting another drink at the bar, when a familiar voice called out to them.

"Nadia! Sydney!" Weiss approached them. "So you guys here too huh? Could have figured you know." He smiled at Nadia "Because of Javier." Sydney slightly intoxicated replied him with a giggle. "Yeah, and I just love it here. I for once have the opportunity to dance without a wig and I can actually hear what people are saying here."

"Oh and girls." He took a step aside "I brought some company." Sydney's mouth fell open.

"Good evening, Sydney, Nadia" Sydney closed her eyes for a second, when she opened them he was still there, Sark.

"Eric, why did you bring Sark?" Weiss couldn't keep his eyes of Nadia and it took him a second to realize Sydney required an answer.

"Euh well, Sloane insisted upon an agent of APO staying with Sark at all times. And he thought none of the junior agents would be able to handle Sark, so he picked me." Sydney frowned.

"But he assigned me to be his handler." Realizing immediately it sounded like she wanted Sark to be with her.

"Yeah, but he didn't want Sark to stay in the same house as his daughter. And considering Nadia's staying with you, that wasn't an option." Relieved that Weiss hadn't picked up on her words she glanced at Sark, he had definitely picked up on her words as he was smirking again. She made a mental note to use her fist the next time he smirked, to wipe it off his face.

"So he's staying at your place?"

"Yes and you know he's a great roomie, he's incredibly neat, a great cook and he knows pretty much all of my magic tricks. He's not as good as me though." Nadia who'd been silently listening and staring at Weiss no happily jumped in.

"Nobody is as good as you, and I really love your magic." She gave him her brightest smile. "You know what else I love?" She grabbed his hand. "Dancing." She led him to the dance floor leaving an uncomfortable Sydney and an amused Sark behind.

"Would you care for a dance Sydney?" Surprise and confusion hit her, but his smock face made her realize he was playing, well she could play too. She gave him a seductive smile. "I thought you'd never ask" He extended his arm "Shall we?" She let him lead her to the dance floor.


	3. Chapter 3

So I hated writing this little part about the dance, because how on earth do you describe that. So, in my mind I thought it would look something like the scene from Take the lead, so here's the link to that www. youtube watch?v=DEwZIufmafo (remove the spaces first, before pressing enter). Or

The first tones of Asi se baila el Tango came on. "So how's your tango?" He enquired.

"Perfectly adequate, thank you." She praised herself to be lucky that a few years back she had to enter into a tango dancing competition for an alias. It took her a week of training, but this song she knew perfectly. Apparently Sark did so too, she tempted him to come to her, they circled each other, it felt like the beginning of a fight, but in tango they were lovers. Tempting, rejecting and giving in to that temptation. He was an amazing dancer, he could easily lift her, didn't make a single error. For the next mission with dancing he would definitely become her partner, with Vaughn it always led to too much improvising and hurt toes on her part. For a stiff and cold Englishman he was amazing, perfectly leading and twisting her. Her touch deprived body reacted to his sensual touch, as the song ended she was out of breath and way too close to Sark. She suddenly became aware that the whole room had their attention on them and were clapping, she let go of him. Flirting with unpredictable terrorists wasn't such a great idea.

"Hey why don't I get to sit in the back?" Weiss was pouting.

Sydney gave him a glare. "Because I'm not willing to sit next to you and Nadia, while you can't keep your hands of each other!"

"Well look who's talking Ms. Tango!" A red hot rush rose to Sydney's cheeks.

"That color looks fairly nice on you Syd." Weiss spoke teasingly.

"Weiss!" He had already become distracted by Nadia who was going with her fingers through his hair. Besides the giggling and whispering of Weiss and Nadia the trip stayed silent. That was until they'd reached their homes. The giggling had gotten louder and Weiss spoke just as Sydney was walking to her front door.

"So, Syd, I think it's best if Sark stayed at your place tonight" Sydney froze.

"Wait, what?!"

Nadia embraced her and whispered. "Come Sydney, we have a spare bedroom. Please for me?"

"Euhh..." She stood dumfounded, unable to answer.

Nadia gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks! You're a great sis!" With that she left with Weiss next doors. She had a lot of trouble processing what had just happened, maybe the cosmopolitans had finally reached her prefrontal cortex. The British accent sobered her up immediately.

"I am to understand that you're going to be my babysitter for tonight?" She smiled, slightly amused as to him referring to her as a babysitter

"I guess I am."

He followed her to into her house, slightly surprised at the lack of resentment on Sydney's part for having to keep him near. Must be the alcohol he presumed and shrugged the thought away.

"This could be fun, you know!" He hadn't anticipated her reaction. She shoved him against a wall. One hand around his throat, a knee up to his groin and a finger pointing in his face. "If you think I'm going to have fun with an international terrorist in my house, you're dead wrong, you cocky son of a bitch!"

(For the next scene please put on this song, I had this in mind and playing on my Ipod writing it watch?v=E0jGoQ657N0 )

Sydney laughed so hard she rolled over her carpet.

"You're not being serious!"

"I am telling you, I walked out there without any clothes and three bridesmaids came immediately over to fight over which one of them could have me. I had to ran through three corridors before I'd lost them and found a storage room for employee clothes."

"And the intel?"

"I'd already send it to a secure server and destroyed the originals." She let out another laugh.

"I just can't believe it, I haven't laughed this hard since…" She narrowed her eyes, seriousness taken on her face again.

"Forever probably."He poured her another drink.

"Okay my turn Agent Bristow." She took her drink and downed it in one take.

"So, Mr. terrorist, whatcha wanna know?" She slurred.

He let out a chuckle. "Did anyone tell you you're a lot more fun with some tequila added?"

"Yes, but that was rhetorical."

"Well I would like to know why you're here drinking with me instead of being with your precious agent Yawn?" He'd expected her to jump up and kill him, instead she went to laughing hysterically, stopping all of the sudden and meeting his eyes.

"Yawn, really?" She asked.

"Yes, or do you prefer Agent Wrinkles?" It was just too much for her, she laughed so hard, tears were streaming down her almost purple cheeks. Sark crawled over to her.

"Sydney would you please try not to forget how to breath, both your parents would kill me."

Her mother… Her laughter turned into sobbing.

"Sydney?" He carefully put a hand on her shoulder, but surprised by his own gesture he immediately removed his hand again. He stared at her while she was wiping away the tears. She jumped up, but her doing so failed horribly as she tripped on her own legs and landed on Sark's lap in the process. She giggled and he smiled.

"What were you planning Bristow?" A moment of shock hit him as she lay her arms across his neck as to hug him.

"Ice cream." She stared deep into his eyes. "I need it." Then tried to get up again. He easily pulled her back.

"No ice cream until you answer my question." She pouted, but when she saw that Sark wasn't impressed, she settled herself against his chest.

"Mr. Vaughn has problems letting go of his late wife and refuses to talk about it and still wants to pick up where we left. Ignoring the fact that both of us have changed and those years did really happen." Sydney grabbed the tequila bottle and put it to her mouth.

"Well." Sark studied her. "That's too bad for Mr. Yawn, because he then fucked up his only leftover possibility of being with the most sexiest and deadliest spy alive." Her dazed eyes met his own.

"Why thanks you Mr. Assassin. There should be more gentlemen like yourself." She kissed him on his cheek and handed him the bottle. He drank what was left of the tequila to find Sydney asleep against his chest. For one of the strongest persons in the world she was particularly light and he felt no desire to remove her whatsoever. He dozed off with Sydney as his blanket.

"Well won't you look at that"

Sydney heard a camera clicking, she opened one eye, immediately a painful sensation hit her head.

"Aww." She moaned, readjusting her sight. She saw Weiss and Nadia standing arm in arm, Weiss was holding up his camera phone.

"What happened?" She asked closing her eyes again and snuggling back up to her tight pillow, she loved the fabrics of it and began stroking it, she couldn't remember getting such pillows.

"Oh come one Syd, tequila? Again? You know it always ends bad!"

"How is me getting some decent sleep a bad thing huh?"

Nadia giggled. "Well we could always use these photos for our Christmas cards, you know with the peace on earth thing."

Sydney grabbed her head, just thinking was hurting, making her head feel like it was exploding.

"Peace on earth?" Nothing was making any sense. She saw Nadia take Weiss.

"We'll make some breakfast for them."

"Yeah." Weiss replied. "And maybe her anti-tequila-hangover drink, they'll need it."

Sydney now became alarmed. Them, they? She was searching her mind for answers but came up blank. She looked about the room and then realized her pillow wasn't a pillow, it was moving, breathing and waking up.

"Sark?!"

Her exclamation made him reach for his head.

"Bloody hell, woman, please refrain from speaking so loud." He murmured and pulled her close to him again, she wrestled herself out of his embrace.

"Sark! Wake up." She hissed and not wanting to cause him and herself any more headache then they already had.

"No".

Her slap across his face instantly woke him up, but she hadn't kept his spy instincts in mind. Within a mere second she was laying on the ground, hands pinned next to her head in his firm grasp.

"Sark!"

She breathed, but his sudden movement had caused an exploding agonizing pain in his head and he collapsed on top of her, grasping his head. The sensation of him on top of her plus his heavy breathing in her neck was too much to handle, she shoved him of her.

He moaned "Why in the world did you feel it was necessary to hit me?"

Sydney wanted to answer but felt exhausted. Weiss's voice snapped her back to reality.

"You do realize that you have an open kitchen?"

"Weiss?!" The puzzled look on her face made him laugh. "You guys were still here?"

Weiss and Nadia approached with a tray filled with breakfast and her anti-hangover juice. She reached for the juice and handed one to Sark, who murmured a thank you before drinking it all at once. Still incredibly embarrassed about the previous scene she asked Weiss why they'd come so early.

"Well besides that Nadia and I were betting on who would have killed the other first. Sloane called saying he couldn't reach your house. Apparently you guys missed like a dozen calls. Anyway he told me that he needs Sark and you for a mission, and that you need to leave in an hour."

"What?!" both Sark and Sydney exclaimed.

"He also mentioned your optech and briefings can be found on the jet."

"That's just great." Sarcasm was dripping from her voice. Sark replied with his usual mocking tone.

"Well actually it is great, then we might have some time to sleep this off."

Weiss chuckled.

"He's right Syd."

"I know." She grumpily replied.

Nadia helped her up. "Come on, let's get you guys ready."

Ten minutes later Weiss was driving two grumpy hangover spies to the airstrip.

"Weiss?"

"Yeah?"

"Please do me favor and make sure no one ever sees those photos."

"Or better yet just destroy your phone" Sark added.

"Well I'll keep them safe, but the video I made during our breakfast making, I will probably use that to blackmail on one of you later."

"What?!" Sydney blurted out. "You made a video?"

Sark snorted. "He said so Sydney and please keep your voice down. It's annoying, also if I were you I was going to worry about the blackmail part."

"I hate you."

"I love you too."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I saw that there were people who actually read my story! So still some Sarkney fans out there! So if anyone's interested I just rewatched every episode, then read pretty much every Sarkney fic, and there were a lot. And then I found this fic that I had started to write 5 years ago and decided it had to be finished. So for old times sake and because Sark and Sydney were awesome characters and because there were so many unfinished amazing stories out there, my version of Sarkney.**

The first 8 hours of their flight were spend sleeping off their hangover. The 2 hours after that were spend reading the mission specs. Neither of them had trouble memorizing them. Sydney broke their silence.

"Photographic memory?" She asked.

"Yes."

"That explains it." He cocked an eyebrow in question.

"Explains what?" She smiled.

"FAPSI headquarters." He only gave a smirk in reply.

Their mission was simple. Disarm security, get in, get Rambaldi manuscript, get out. Security seemed low and only five minutes until they would arrive at their destination. Sydney's phone buzzed.

"Hey dad."

"Sydney listen very carefully, we received intel that the mission…..Sloane….please…." The signal went dead. Her fathers distressed voice made her anxious.

"Sark?" He kept his eyes on the road.

"Yes?"

"After this mission, I'm not sure we'll be able to return." He gave her a worried look.

"What did your father tell you?" He didn't become worried very often, trusting his own ability to survive, but the shadow that had filled Sydney's face was definitely worrying him.

"My father told me that our mission may be compromised. He was going to tell me something about Sloane his signal went dead before he could tell me." She swallowed.

"Maybe Sloane coming into contact with Rambaldi may have turned him again. And in that case returning with this manuscript may not be a wise decision." Sark nodded in understanding.

"I have a safe house in the area, I suggest we toss our phones now and go there afterwards, from there we'll figure out how to proceed."

"I agree, let's go."

Sark woke up with another headache, he felt dreary and his vision was blurry. He tried to remember what happened. He was on a mission, came into a room. Got locked in from both sides with Sydney, and then…gas maybe? His vision was restoring and mere inches from him was Sydney, she was lying next to him, unconscious. He noticed his hands were crossed with Sydney's and tied behind her back, and hers behind his. This should be fun when she wakes up he thought, but first she needed to be awake. They should come up with a plan and he couldn't move anywhere without her.

"Sydney." He whispered. "Sydney wake up." Now little louder. "Sydney, I need you to wake up." She stirred a little.

"No, not yet." She murmured.

Sark got annoyed. She needed to wake up and she needed to do it now. He did the only thing that would wake her up for sure and their bondage would allow for. He kissed her, knowing she wouldn't be able to slap him. He was surprised when she didn't try to move her hands, but it was nothing what he felt when his rough kiss was slowed down by her answering and softening it. He blinked to see if this was really Sydney Bristow kissing him, trying to get her soft tong inside his mouth and exploring it fully and out of free will.

He heard a door open and broke away, wondering what had gotten into her.

"So Mr. Sark, Ms. Bristow. I see you're getting started already, good, very good."

The man standing in the door opening spoke with a thick Russian accent. Sark could hear though that this man most likely had spent a particular amount of time in the Ukraine. The perverted smile on his face predicted no good.

"You might wonder why your former adversary has now no problem of being intimate with you."

Sark's gaze now fell on Sydney, who apparently had been staring at him since their kiss. He got rather confused as he determined the look in her eyes as pure lust. He swallowed and looked back at the ugly Russian in his ugly suit. The man continued to speak "Ms. Bristow is currently under the influence of the Rambaldi Love Potion #47.

_ (Yes I know! And I do apologize for stealing this part from the Bad Wigs verse, but I loved it too much not to use it!)_

You see we believe that Ms. Bristow is the Chosen One and is to give birth to Rambaldi, but you see The Covenant and the CIA believed this too, however they were missing a vital part of the prophecy. You see we're in possession of that part and you were here to steal it. It turns out that Rambaldi's heir was to be fathered by the last of the Romanov's. Which is you."

Sark's eyes grew wide. This was madness.

"Rambaldi mentioned that The Chosen One would never out of free will give in to this person and therefore developed the Love Potion. The child would be a perfect mixture good and evil. We have arranged some comfortable living arrangements for the both of you. After you successfully impregnated her you are free to go. Ms. Bristow naturally will have to stay with us a little longer than that."

Sark stared at the man completely speechless, his only thought was these Rambaldi nutjobs were all bloody insane. The man walked out of the room, his last words before leaving were that they would be leaving within the hour, no doubt drugged again.

Sark turned his attention to Sydney, who still had the same expression. She looked like she was about to devour him.

"Well Mr. Sark." She spoke in a low sultry voice. "It looks like we're all alone." She was the predator and he definitely the chosen prey.

"Sydney stop, you heard the man, you're drugged, if you give into it you'll lose." She began kissing his neck, then whispered into his ear.

"I don't care. I just want you."

Her lips in his neck made him incredibly uncomfortable, his body was responding to her touch, which was very unfortunate, because this was not the time for fooling around. He kept in mind that if he were to touch her, drugged or not both Irina and Jack would kill him. Or castrate him at the least.

He used his legs and weight to move on top of her.

"Sydney, I know this is difficult, but I need you to focus. So you have anything that can get us out of these handcuffs?"

She gave him a seductive smile.

"I need you to pull the wire out of my bra."

He moved his hands to her breasts, slowly pushing the wire out of the cup.

"You know you will regret this." He finally succeeded in pulling the wire and used it first on his own cuffs before freeing Sydney. Being free she immediately threw him on the bed again.

"Sydney we don't have time for this."

She crawled seductively over the bed until she was too close for his comfort to his face.

"What if I'm not going go to regret this, what if this is what I've wanted all along?"

Anger began to rise up in him and he pushed her away and moved to the door.

"Sydney, they'll be here any minute now, I need you focused and able to disarm the guards when they arrive. When and if we're safe we can discuss this further."

"Really?" Still with the hunting eyes and sultry tone.

"Yes, really." He was going to have to deal with her later.


	5. Chapter 5

They disabled the two guards who came to get them, Sark took both their weapons and threw one of them to Sydney.

"Let's just get out of here."

They ran for their lives, Sydney knocked out two more guards, while Sark shot a third. As they came to the exit of the building he heard a shot and turned to fire back. As he shot the last guard he saw Sydney fall to the ground, she clenched her side as blood started to stain her hands. He looked at her, for what felt like an eternity. Emotion overcame him, he picked her up and spoke softly.

"Don't worry Sydney I'll take care of you." She passed out and he could mentally slap himself for saying something so unlike him out loud. Especially to someone like Sydney Bristow.

He found a van and carefully stabilized her in it. He knew where to go. The only place safe enough to take Sydney now, but doubt entered his mind. If Sydney would turn against him, his home would not only be compromised, but also… Realizing there was no more time to think he drove off.

It took him only twenty minutes to get there, until he entered the highway he hadn't realized he was this close. He drove the van into the garage, traffic camera's luckily were scarce in this area and nobody would trace him here. He carried Sydney inside and put her in his personal operation room. With precision he took out the bullet and examined the tissue, he was going to need help with this. He made a call.

"I'm so glad you're finally back." She hugged him.

"I missed you so much."

"I missed you too."

"Luckily for you I was near, she had severe damage to her liver and the internal bleeding didn't help either. She's stitched up now, I gave her some morphine and a sedative for her to stay asleep, she needs to be, otherwise her body won't heal properly."

He stroked a few hairs from her face.

"I'm glad you could help, how long will it be before she'll wake up?"

She shrugged.

"Maybe a week, maybe more. I'm monitoring her brain waves to see how the part of the brain that recognizes pain reacts. If she's under a certain level, I'll let her wake up."

He nodded and bit his lip. She, reading his concern for Sydney asked; "If she means that much to you to bring her here, why haven't I met her before?"

Slightly alarmed by the question he looked away. "In my line of business the people you care about, are not necessarily on the same side. Remember when I told you of the woman I had the highest respect for? I was talking about her."

The idea of someone from his line of business had definitely peaked her interest, but she knew not to ask much questions.

"I have to leave for a few days, for her." He glanced at Sydney now lying in his guestroom. "I'll be back shortly, but if you're study doesn't allow for it, I could also try and arrange somebody else."

She smiled.

"No big brother, I actually have two weeks off to study for my exams, but I think I can handle watching just one patient and learning at the same time."

"All right then, I'll see you soon." He hugged her one last time and left to get some intel that might help sort this mess out.

Sydney woke up lying in a comfortable bed, without opening her eyes she turned, no alarm meant more time to sleep, which was something she felt she needed. Suddenly it struck her. Amsterdam, Sark, being shot. She opened her eyes and tried to sit upright, it send an burning pain throughout her abdomen and she fell back into the pillows. Eyeing her surroundings she discovered she was no longer in the warehouse in Amsterdam. Then where was she? She tried to remember what had happened after she got shot when the door was opened. A young woman entered and seemed surprised to see her awake.

"Miss Bristow, you're finally awake!"

"Where am I?"

The girl walked up to her and answered.

"I can't tell you where you are, but I can tell you this; you were shot and the bullet went through your liver and you had severe internal bleeding. You've been here for over a week. I will be taking care of your wound, making sure that it will heal properly. For the rest of your questions, Julian will be with you shortly and explain everything further."

"Julian?" Sydney wanted to know more but felt exhausted. She let the girl clean her wound dressing.

"Just rest, you'll be alright."

The girl walked to leave the room.

"What's your name?" The girl turned around, Sydney realized she had seen the same blue eyes before.

"Julia." She answered and left the room.

For the first time since she opened her eyes the started to admire her room. The walls were a deep kind of blue and all the furniture was white, and looked romantically vintage. Large windows were covered with enormous thick white curtains a chandelier hung from the ceiling, wherever she was, the owner had great taste. Her eyes felt heavy again and she turned to her side, she would need some sleep if she was going to escape. If she wanted to escape because right now these pillows were all she needed.


	6. Chapter 6

"Sydney."

She turned and murmured. "No, go away."

She heard a soft chuckle, Sark was sitting next to her. Mentally preparing herself for her next move.

"What is it?" She could hear him let out a slight sigh.

"I heard you woke up and…"

With her left hand she hit his throat, the pain in her abdomen immediately returned. Sark had fallen off his chair and tried to grasp for air. Frantically she jumped out of bed and fell, she gave up the second she'd hit the floor. She definitely wasn't ready for this, the pain was worsening by the second and she became nauseous, she turned her eyes to Sark, who had regained his air and came to help her.

"What are you going to do to me?"

Her eyes were begging him, he brought one arm under her back and picked her up with his other. He gently lay her on the bed.

"Believe it or not Sydney, but I'm trying to help you."

His last words were enough reassurance for her to fall asleep. He sat back in the chair en picked up book. He hoped that if she'd wake up again she would be reasonable enough to listen to him. Remembering that Sydney had just hit him, even in her weakened state she could slash out, he decided that a tranq gun would be an appropriate precaution.

Back at APO

"Mr. Sloane!, Mr. Sloane!"

Marshall was out of breath the moment he ran into Sloane's office.

"You need to see this! We found footage of Sydney."

Sloane followed Marshall to his office, while signaling Jack, Nadia and Weiss to come with him.

"You know, the warehouse in Amsterdam, where Sydney and Sark supposedly were kept? Which was off course already been abandoned and you know all the guards down."

He made a gun with his hand.

"Piew Piew."

"Marshall now!" Jack and Sloane spoke in unison.

"Euh yes off course, well we thought that there wasn't any footage to be found, but I found out the warehouse facing it actually did, and well…let's take a look."

He played the video, it showed Sark and Sydney running from a the warehouse. Sydney knocked out two guards and Sark shot another, a last guard was able to aim at Sydney and fire off a shot. Sark finished the guard but then turned around to see Sydney falling to the ground. She was shot and bleeding. Sark stood frozen for a second and then ran towards her and picking her up. He appeared to be saying something and carried her away.

"So she is still with Sark."

"Yes it seems so." Marshall turned "But wait till you hear what he says to her! There was no audio, but the lipreading program I made a few years…"

"Just play it!"

Jack was eager to hear what Marshall found. Marshall pressed a button and the computer animated voice came along with the screen. Sark held Sydney and spoke.

"Don't worry Sydney, I'll take care of you".

Jack frowned, and he wasn't the only one. Nadia was the first to speak.

"Does Sark have some kind of connection to Sydney we're not aware of? I thought besides becoming partners they were sworn enemies?"

Sloane answered but he kept is eyes on Jack.

"Sark and Sydney have always been adversaries, but before last week I don't think there was a connection. It could be that Sark has always had a plan to kidnap Sydney, maybe as a revenge of Lauren's death."

He hold his pace and turned to Nadia.

"Don't worry we'll get her back."

Nadia makes eye contact with Weiss. Weiss cleared his throat.

"Ah sir, there is something that maybe you should see."

15 minutes later Sloane's office, only Jack and Sloane

"I can't comprehend why Sydney would let her guard down with Sark, it seems highly unlike herself."

Sloane placed his elbows on the table. Jack grunts.

"I agree, but for now I think we can assume that she is in no harm. They will probably resurface, although I'm actually surprised they went at all. I tried to warn Sydney, I lost the signal because of my damn telecom provider. When I'd reached a payphone they didn't asnwer. Marhall's trace confirmed they'd tossed their phones."

Sloane rubs his temples.

"And what if Sark fails to bring her back safely?"

"Then I will torture him to death."

"Very well, by the way where the hell is Vaughn?"

Jack leaned across Sloane's desk.

"I didn't want to come forward with the information until I was certain. But he's been absent for 2 weeks and didn't check in. It turned out that he never intended on visiting his mother, she was unaware that her son was supposed to be with her. I called in some favors and only an hour ago I was informed that Vaughn has gone rogue and has teamed up with an organization with ties to the former Covenant. However, my contact also stated that the reason Vaughn might be working with them is because they've promised him to lead him to his father."


	7. Chapter 7

Sark had taken more distance from Sydney's bed, he held a tranq gun, while reading a book.

"Sark?" He looked up, to his surprise Sydney sat up right.

"Yes, Sydney?" He closed the book.

"Before I..." she paused "Fell asleep. You mentioned that you're helping me. What exactly did you mean?"

He studied her face, Sydney's expression gave him all the information he needed.

"What you actually meant to ask was; whether or not you're being held captive by me and what plans I furthermore have for you."

He stood up and smirked.

"Is it that hard to believe I might actually have good intentions."

"Murderers like you, never have good intentions." She spat at him, her anger was obvious and he remained out of her range.

"Come come Sydney, murderers like me, we both know there are no murderers like me, especially since I like to see myself more like a free man with certain set of skills, besides you've had your fair share of killing. We're more alike than you might think."

His provocation was more than enough to see her face become completely red.

"You might like to believe that."

Her tone not as loud as he expected.

"But you and I are nothing alike, and it makes me sick to my stomach to even think about it, but I guess it would be really satisfying to put a bullet between your eyes." She hissed.

He felt calm again, the strange feeling of concern he felt for her was now replaced with his usual iciness.

"Good, now we've established again how much you hate me, remember that I actually saved your life. When we escaped from the warehouse in Amsterdam, the last guard shot you. I then transported you and removed the bullet myself."

The anger in her face had now disappeared and a more puzzled look had replaced it.

"Why would you do that?"

He sighed, he kept wondering the same thing, but in the end he knew what the answer was. He was however not prepared to give Sydney any indication of it, she might use it against him. He had to lie.

"We were both taken hostage, they were expecting us when we came for the Rambaldi manuscript. You've been unconscious for two weeks. In those two weeks I've been gathering intel about the group that took us hostage and trying to see if I can relocate the manuscript. I have reason to believe that their plan is long term. But before I continue I need to inform you of two things."

He slowly approached her, tranq gun still ready.

"First that if you try to run to your precious CIA I will shoot you, because this house cannot be compromised, for more than one reason, which gives you an indication of the risk I took bringing you here. And second that you're body needs a least another two weeks to fully recover, so I suggest you stay here and if after those two weeks you no longer have the desire to be here I will let you go, on the condition that I tranq you and you won't know the location of my little safe house."

He was almost certain he'd seen her eyes sparkle a bit and a small grin.

"You have my attention."

"I propose that after those two weeks I will tell you everything I know and we will then search for this group and completely destroy them and then maybe bring the Rambaldi manuscript back to the CIA depending on what information it contains."

She stared at him.

"And wouldn't I just kill you and try to find out on my own?"

"You've not been very successful in killing me before, besides right now you're the one recovering from a bullet through your liver. Also I am now under CIA employment so it wouldn't be good idea to kill me. And for now you need me, because we're not sure on which side Sloane is, so contacting APO could still prove to be a fatal mistake. You may contact your father after these two weeks and I can contact Irina to see if she has any information to provide us with."

He thought his comment would make her angry, but seeing her expression he immediately regretted it. The sadness in her face looked near desperation.

"Don't bother contacting Irina, she's dead."

Sark chuckled.

"Sure by now you must realize that Irina could never die. She did it far to many times for anybody to take her seriously."

Tears were now rolling down Sydney's cheeks and Sark became concerned.

"Unless there is something you know, that I don't."

She turned her eyes away from him and spoke softly.

"My dad,…he shot her, through the head."

Sark stood frozen, he felt sick to his stomach.

"Why?" He asked, hearing is own voice become unsteady.

"Because of the Rambaldi prophecy, that her daughters would battle over a certain object and neither of them would survive."

She let out a sob and brushed away the tears.

"She had put a hit out on me, the only way to make sure the hit wouldn't be made if she was dead. She admitted putting out the hit to my dad before he shot her."

She stopped holding back the tears and let the flood gates open. Sark still stood nailed to the ground, but then the first emotion of the news left and reason entered.

"That can't be true."

Sydney looked up with mixed emotions.

"How can you say that?"

Sark dropped the tranq gun and sat next to her on the bed.

"Because Sydney, I have known you're mother since I was 16 and everything she ever did was for you, so even if she was so concerned about her daughters battling she would have chosen you over Nadia, if only for the fact that Sloane is Nadia's father. She loves you and always has. It would have been completely out of character for her to do something like this. Are you a hundred percent sure that it was in fact Irina?"

Sydney looked unsure of the information presented to her.

"The DNA matched and she looked the same."

Sark cocked an eyebrow and felt somewhat relieved.

"Well that wouldn't be the first time now, wouldn't it?"

"You think she was doubled?"

He rubbed his temples.

"It is a possibility, but that could mean that the ones that doubled her also captured her, because otherwise she would have tried to set it right and stop the hit. Unless off course these people killed her after the doubling process. I will try and get into contact with her and see what I can find about her last known whereabouts."

"My dad also had a way of contacting her, I could also try that."

She saw a warm smile on his face.

"I am glad that we now finally will have the change of working together, I think I'll rather enjoy it."

She gave him a half angry look.

"Don't push it Sark!"

She fixed her stare on one of the large windows. For a second he thought she was lost in thought and thought it better to leave. She stopped him the moment he stood up to leave.

"Who's Julia?"

He knew she would ask him, still not sure whether or not to answer he sat down again.

"She has the exact same eyes as you."

His silence bothered her.

"I guess because you've agreed to honor my proposal I will tell you, but I trust it to be in your judgment never to mention her to anyone else."

She nodded.

"She's my sister, I found her six years ago under not so favorable circumstances." He paused. "I made sure she got private lessons and after a year she entered university to become a doctor. I made sure no one would ever find her, and she was well provided for. She's partly aware of the work I do, but I would be grateful if you were not to mention it too much to her. The less she knows the better off she is. She's innocent and knowing you, I would think you'll understand that this information is better to be kept from anyone."

He looked at her, understanding his question she nodded again.

"I understand."

He stood up again.

"Sark?"

"Yes?"

"Can you promise me to wait these two weeks too? I want to do everything together."

He smirked.

"Everything Sydney? My, that's a wonderful idea."

She raised a brow at his inclination, but instantly let it go.

"Do you have a place where I could train?"

A small chuckle followed.

"Dear Sydney, for now you're in no shape to train already, but perhaps you should start by trying to walk without falling down. I suggest you rest for now, I will be back in an hour."

Sydney stayed silent as he took the tranq gun and left her to herself. Her head was spinning from the emotional rollercoaster ride she had been on. So maybe her mother was alive, and why hadn't Sark mentioned anything about their time being kidnapped. She needed rest, two weeks off wasn't such a bad idea, even if it was in the company of Sark.


	8. Chapter 8

_Author notes: So the story is a little slow for now, but be patient I have a lot more in storage! Also, please leave a review! My stats revealed there are actually many people reading this, so even if it's just one word leave a review! It helps, because this being the first major story I publish, I need feedback to make it better, so especially if you think it sucks, I would like to know about it! Thanks!_

"Allow me."

He reached his arm out to her. He could see the doubt in her eyes. Those beautiful eyes, Sark averted his eyes it was not time to let his admiration for her skills turn into more than that. He felt the firm grasp of her hand as she flung her legs over the side of the bed. She exhaled deeply and while putting her feet down on the ground she almost clenched herself to him afraid of the pain that was to follow, he heard her shriek softly.

"If it's too much, you shouldn't…"

"I'm allright."

There was no stopping Sydney once determination kicked in, Irina had told him it came from her father and that such determination kicked in, it was better to follow. He let her lead the way, but seeing that she was exhausted after only five minutes of walking about in the room he led her to her bed, she didn't argue and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows.

Sark had given Julia permission to talk freely to Sydney, but warned her not to ask too much questions about Sydney's life. Sydney enjoyed the company of the young woman. Her spirits were always up and seemed to care a lot for Sark. Julia came to her every day and after she'd cleaned her wound, she would stay and talk to her about everything that came to her mind. Mostly in the last half hour of her stay Sark would come in and sit by them, after Julia had left he would ask how she was and walk about with her in the room. She was not just puzzled but amazed as to how he treated Julia and seemingly felt that she would catch him eyeing her with the same kind of caring look. It took her a few days before walking about in her room didn't exhaust her and she asked Sark if she could go outside her room.

"You're not my prisoner Sydney, I merely let you stay in your room, because I thought you to be not fit enough to be so far of your bed."

She smiled at him, feeling silly all of the sudden.

"Would you be so kind as to show me the world outside of this room then?"

He took her arm and led her, when entering the hallway she stood still, she was simply amazed by the impact of it. The hallway was long and full of light, provided by large windows and reflected by the high ceiling. This wasn't just a house, this was a mansion, a castle even perhaps. He pointed at the room next to hers.

"My quarters are over there if you need me." He smirked at her amazement. "Would you perhaps care to see the garden, Sydney?"

She nodded as a reply, to impressed to speak. A large staircase took them downstairs. She took in the interior that seemed only to add to the great taste she'd admired in her room. Large glass doors let them to the garden, her jaw dropped, which she immediately closed again.

"I thought you said garden."

"I did."

His response was simple, but he knew she was utterly impressed by the greatness.

"You should have mentioned it to be a fairy tale forest."

She left his arm to and took everything in, the large grass blanket that lay before her and the many bushes filled with enormous flowers and butterfly's. Large trees stood on the end of the grass, she couldn't make out a fence or a hedge.

"Where are we?" She turned to face him. "I mean it's September, but it's like 30 degrees (Celsius) out here."

"Come on Sydney, you're a spy take a look around, you'll figure it out."

"I'd rather you just tell me." She sees him biting is lower lip.

"We're currently still in The Netherlands."

Her smile grows.

"You're kidding."

Not sure herself whether that was a question or merely a statement.

"I thought it always rained here."

"It's not England you know."

He pointed towards a large tree, beneath it lay a large blanket and a picnic basket.

"Julia will come soon with the tea. I was hoping to enjoy it over there. If you're up for it."

She gave him a broad smile.

"That shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Sydney was enjoying her stay, still it troubled her to be in Sark's company. She had banned any thoughts concerning their kidnapping and their upcoming mission. She needed herself to get better, to be strong. Being here was relaxing, the house was incredible, Sark seemed caring and polite and Julia had become a friend in the short time she was staying here. But it seemed to be a habit to expect betrayal and she couldn't help wondering whether this was all a charade and it would soon end horribly. The pain in her abdomen had subsided to now and then a little sting, but she had lost a lots of muscle strength and endurance. She still felt a little weak, but tomorrow the two weeks would end and she would have to regain every single bit of it to fight the upcoming battle. Tomorrow, but for now she was going to enjoy the picnic.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So I have a final tomorrow and a busy week ahead. So next time I'll update will be Friday perhaps... The park they visit in this chapter really exists. It's called 'Elswout' so try to enter that in Google images, maybe even add 'Overveen' which is the town it belongs to. It will give you an impression. I have a lot of pictures collected on how I imagined Sark's home would look like and for pretty much every scene where exactly it would take place. If I find a way to show you guys I will. Now enjoy!  
**

**Updated A/N: Pictures can also be found at the Pinterest account!**

In the morning Sark came to her room, he brought her breakfast and clothes, informed her to get dressed and meet him downstairs.

"We'll be taking a little drive after which I will fully inform you of the situation."

She was anxious for answers and it took little time for her to finish her breakfast and get dressed. Sark had provided her with clothes exactly her size, making her wonder whether they were Julia's. They looked expensive and fitted perfectly. When she met Sark downstairs he took her to the garage. She was surprised by the sight before her.

"Don't tell me you've never seen a car collection."

She shook her head.

"No I just thought you preferred Mercedes over BMW's, and here we are and you have a garage full of them."

He opened the passenger door of a classic blue BMW for her.

"Well in espionage I think it to be rather important that no one knows my real preferences. Like this one."

Their drive was short, Sydney recognized some of the city's mentioned on the road signs, but failed to remember where they were. They'd arrived at park of some sort. It looked like no one had tried to mold nature to their will in decades, all the leaves were brown, but the sun shone like it was a midsummer morning. She felt as if she had stepped into a fairytale forest.

"Sydney?"

She deeply inhaled the fresh air.

"Yes?"

She could hear his hesitation.

"Do you remember what happened when we were captured?"

"Vaguely." She answered, a bit distracted by her surroundings.

He stopped his pace. She blocked him.

"Sark…why?"

His piercing blue eyes searched her own.

"What exactly do you remember?"

She cocked her eyebrow. "I guess being hit in the head, an ugly Russian and something about a room with incredibly awful wallpaper, and then…being shot." Her voice trailed away. "What happened Sark?"

The demanding tone didn't shake his demeanor.

"I know we haven't talked about this yet, but that is it? Nothing else?"

"No." She simply stated, eager for answers.

"We were indeed captured and when I woke up, we were both in the room with the awful wallpaper. We were handcuffed in a bit of a compromising situation."

He could see her suspicion rising.

"A man entered; Russian, incredibly ugly and fat. He proclaimed himself to work for a group that had uncovered the rest of the prophecy concerning the Chosen One."

He paused, unsure of what her reaction would be, no emotional outburst followed.

"Please continue." No audible distress in her voice.

"That The Chosen One should have a child, not of Rambaldi, but apparently of the last of the Romanov bloodline." He paused. "Which is me."

He saw a hurt smile on her face.

"Sydney?"

"Of course they do, every time I think this Rambaldi nonsense can't become any more ridiculous they surprise me again."

"There's more."

"Of course there is."

"They'd drugged you before tying you to me I suppose." Her annoyance was replaced with concern. "The ugly Russian told me that they'd given you Love Potion #47."

"Love potion?!" The alarm in her raised voice made him treat carefully, she needed to stay calm.

"He mentioned that it would make you want the person Rambaldi meant for you to have a child with."

He briefly looked away, he hated doing this to her, and it wasn't getting any easier. Her voice was only above a whisper, but he could clearly hear her despair.

"What happened?"

When his eyes met the teary doe eyes, he could see they were pleading him for anything else than what was implied.

"No Sydney, nothing happened. You were drugged and were indeed very eager, but my only interest was getting us out of there."

"So you didn't…?"

"No." She bit her lip.

"Thank you."

"However you know they won't stop until they think this prophecy is completed. Knowing you, you won't stop until they're completely destroyed. I know you weren't very eager to be my handler, but I do suggest we work together in bringing them down."

Her eyes turned cold. "If you only think.." Frustrated he interrupted her.

"For heaven's sake, woman. Will you let me finish? Because I'm well aware you're hatred for me and your patriotism forbids you from working with a terrorist like myself, but you're going to need help. And frankly I don't think your precious CIA is such a good idea to run to, for all we know Sloane has turned mad again and he is behind all of this. He is the one that made you my handler, and with all the history it didn't seem very wise. So unless you want to have a child with me and give it up to a group of fanatic madmen, I suggest you take me up on my partnership and get this over as quickly as possible."

He'd seen her defenses crumble at his words and looked at woman in ruins.

"How long?" Her tone was soft and he could hear her holding back tears.

"We have absolutely no idea how far their connections reaches, therefore nothing can be said about the duration of our mission. But yes it could take years. So are you willing for once not to do what is best for your CIA, but for you?"

The last thing he saw was her right fist coming towards him.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: So, early update, a little one. I had this done already, but the rest needs more checking and adjusting. I wrote this scene with the number A comet appears by The Shins, you can find in on youtube! If you copy and paste the following code in your browser behind the youtube line it will get you the right number ( watch?v=GVutw8DLuD4 ) I must admit I wrote this inspired by a scene of Chuck and therefore used the same song.**_  
_

**Update: Songs can be found at the Pinterest account!**

She sat on a dune, knees tucked to her chest, staring at the ocean.

"How long have you been here?"

He sat down next to her.

"About an hour."

She sighed.

"There's no running from this, is there?"

"I'm afraid not."

She glanced at him.

"I'm just so sick of everything. At first I loved being a spy, the rush, the adrenaline. But after Sloane had my fiancé killed it was just about revenge. The same went for the Covenant. I kept telling myself that it was about justice, about serving my country. To make the world a little bit better. But now…if I ever want to have some sort of normal life and not a kid taken by some obsessed freaks. I have to start all over again. Only now I'm starting to realize that a normal life is something I will never have."

"I think that depends on how you define normal. And still you're not normal, never have been. Your mother once told me that even though you were one of the sweetest girls in the world. You were born a spy. When she found out you were working for SD-6 she wasn't in the least surprised. Angry though at Sloane, but not surprised."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're one of the best. And for what it's worth I would hate to lose such a great adversary, I would have gained world domination in a week of your demise."

She smiled.

"We will destroy them and I know you're reluctance in working with me, but surely you can see that destroying them is also in my best interest."

Her eyes went back to the water.

"How did you find me?"

"I'm quite sure you know the answer to that."

"Tracker."

"Indeed."

"Sark even though we're in this together, how do I know I can trust you, and you won't disappear on me?"

He tasted the bitterness of her words. Well aware that disappointed was all she ever received for the dedication she gave, he decided she would need more emotional input from him. And hope.

"When I told you I am man of my word I meant it. So let me promise you this, I don't go into hiding, it doesn't suit me, neither does it suit you. However if I feel the need arises to go into hiding I would not leave you behind."

She began to draw circles in the sand.

"What are you saying?"

Her face showed a mixture of unbelief and surprise.

"I'm saying that I would not go into hiding without you. Let's leave it at that."

He shifted his gaze towards the ocean.

"I'm hoping you would ignore my previous crimes and treat me like your partner. I am well aware of the mistakes I made, and I'm sure one day I have to answer for them. But would you at least try and trust me? Otherwise we will be at each other throats within a day again. And when we end this, I hope to still return with you to the CIA."

Sydney was stunned by his words, by the promise that was given and the seemingly honesty that lay within them.

"I will."


	11. Chapter 11

After they'd come home Sydney became agitated. She needed her strength and she needed it now. She'd excused herself from Sark's company, who had looked at her with great concern. She wasn't sure she bought his whole good guy act. It made her angry. And she needed to do something about it, she asked Julia for the training room and after borrowing some sports clothes from her, she made her way to it.

She began her exercise, tentatively throwing some punches at a boxing bag. Then her mind began to dwell on all the things Sark had told her, and she realized she hated Rambaldi, she was angry for the way people were now trying to use her, for not being able to trust anyone anymore. For having to work with Sark. Not being sure whether to trust him. She punched the bag with all she had, kicked it until she felt her knuckles bleeding and her feet hurt. She was desperate to rid her body from the stress and emotional pain. She was catching her breath when the unmistakable British accent came to raise her anger once again.

"If I were you, I would try and take it easy. You're not fully strong yet."

He saw her eyes spitting fire.

"Let me tell you something, you cocky son of a bitch." She slowly made her way over to him. "I am always fully strong, the last thing I need is you holding me back".

His eyes became icier than she had ever seen them before.

"I disagree, if you will continue to be so stubborn you might end up unreliable in the field or overtraining yourself, doing only more damage to your body. In that case you would be the one holding me back."

She threw a punch which he easily blocked, he twisted her arm and forced her to the floor and dropped her. He unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it aside, revealing a plain white wife-beater.

"Prove it to me and I will say no more about your supposed incompetence due to your injury."

His words made her jump up, ignoring the sharp pain that went through her body. She would give the bastard what he was asking for. She failed to land a kick, proceeded with a combination of a punch and a sweep for his legs, which to her frustration he blocked. He grabbed her leg, twisted it and she found herself on the floor again.

"Your anger prohibits you from anticipating, you're just lashing out and it will get you killed."

He circled her. Determined not to give in she suddenly swept his legs off the ground, causing him to land on his back and dove on top of him. Trying to pin his arms next to him, straddling him with her thighs.

"You listen to me, I will do this my way, I still don't trust you and I don't have any reason to do so. If you get in my way I will kill you, is that clear?!"

Sark's expression changed from amused to annoyed and his eyes went cold again.

"Crystal."

His words made her shiver. In one move she found herself lying on her back, their positions reversed. She never had been in control, he just let her have that illusion.

"Now let me tell you something in return, you may be used to have every man wrapped around you're little fingers, ready to jump whenever you need them. Always giving in to your stubbornness. But you mean nothing to me, so I couldn't care less about you're stubbornness if it wasn't for the fact that this attitude could get me killed. Now if you're so eager to die, I suggests you do it somewhere else, and not while being on a mission with me."

His grasp was so firm and her muscles so tense that everything began to hurt.

"You're hurting me." Her tone was pent-up, the fact that Sark was winning this made her even more angry and she struggled to get out of his grasp. It was pointless.

"That's the point Sydney, I can easily hurt you, even when I have no intention of doing so. I realize you've had an incredible difficult day, but you need to focus on the end goal. Training for a short-term goal is nonsensical, you can't be ready in a day and it won't remove your frustration. I suggest you compartmentalize and leave your emotions out of this."

"What would you know about emotions?!"

She spat the words out. He moved his face close to hers, his eyes a fiery blue.

"Everything."

She could feel his breath on her, his face was way too close for her comfort.

"I have done nothing but help you these past weeks, I have let you into my home and you're anything but grateful. I understand you have trust issues, but apparently you've forgotten our conversation earlier today already. That is quiet disappointing, because I don't plan on reassuring you every time you decide to let your emotions run away with you."

Sydney's body was reaction to a man being so close to her and she had trouble looking him in the eyes, afraid he would see her probably dilated pupils.

"So I will tell you for the last time, that you have my word that I will help you see this through to the end and my full loyalty to you. But I won't let you do this on your own and I won't budge when your emotions come in the way."

She felt her heart sting, this was too much for her, it became too personal. Being understood and given such a promise. Her eyes met his and she could swear that he intended on kissing her, instead he stood up and held out his hand to help her up. She looked at him and felt vulnerable and embarrassed. She stood up herself and pretty much ran out of the room.

"Something tells me there is more between her and you than you have mentioned before. Because was that a little sexual frustration I saw back there?"

Julia had a puzzled look on her face, especially when she saw the anger in him.

"Don't ever mention her to me in that way!"

He recovered a little by the sight of her. His face became filled with a sincere sadness.

"I apologize for my tone Julia, it's just that Sydney and I have a rather complicated past."

"What are you not telling me Julian?"

She saw his hesitation.

"You can trust me, you know that."

He let out a sigh and shook his head.

"I know that, but I don't want to drag you into the life we're living, and second I don't want you to have to lie to Sydney."

"Julian?" Her concern was obvious. He closed his eyes for a second. "If I show you, you must promise me to never ever tell her, and second don't ever talk about any attraction we might have."

He was confusing her that much was clear.

"Julian, why ever in the world...?"

"No, promise me."

She nodded.

"I promise."

(Song = Astair by Matt Costa)

Sydney ran to her room. Locked the door and let herself slide to the floor. She tried controlling her breathing to relax, but the impact of the day finally came down on her, emotion overcame her and she couldn't stop the tears from flowing freely anymore. She laughed, the situation was just completely ridiculous.

The Rambaldi madness had come to find her once again. She had been drugged and apparently tried to seduce Sark, who claimed to not have taken any advantage of that and rescued her. She had wondered a lot about that in the past two weeks. Why he'd taken her here and not back to L.A., except maybe for the question about Sloane's loyalty. He had obviously take a big risk in taken her to his home. Why, when he had so little to trust her for and no guarantee she wouldn't lead the CIA back to this place. And that moment just now, why had it felt like he wanted to kiss her and why had that not raised a thousand alarm bells in her head.

She had to admit being here with him, seeing him with Julia scared her. It reminded her that he was human and behind the façade of a killer was a man capable of kindness and loving. She dragged herself to her bed, exhausted, she let her body relax. He had been right though, she hated to admit it, but all men in her life usually gave in to her stubbornness, saying that nothing would stop her anyway. She had been stubborn and emotional and Sark was the first to stand his ground against her. She had been childish and he had set her straight. That she owed him an apology was the last thought she had before falling asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Sydney was dreaming. She was seventeen again, her hair was longer and she wore it half up. She was wearing a wedding gown she'd loved to look at in magazines that age. She was standing in the park they'd been to that morning. Only now it was early summer and everything was green. She felt an arm pulling her close, looking up she saw Sark. Younger than when they had first met. He placed a soft kiss on her temple. "Beautiful isn't it?" she smiled.

"It's incredible, like a fairytale."

"I was five or six when my grandmother took me here. I haven't had the chance to return here since, but I hope in the future I will have more time to come here more often, especially with you."

"Do you think she'll let us?"

He smiled and held her tighter.

"I don't know, but let's hope for the best." He cupped her face with his palms "You're amazing, do you know that?"

She chuckled. "You're not so bad yourself." He kissed her. His lips softly on hers, tender and full of promise.

Sydney sat upright immediately heart pounding and breathing heavily, covered in sweat.

"What the hell?!"

She jumped out of bed and opened one of the large windows entirely, it made a loud shrieking noise. The dream had felt real, way too real. It held too much details and why would her brain choose to fabricate a story in which she knew how Sark had looked before they had even met. Why the wedding dress? The door busted open and an alert and gun raising Sark came through.

"Sark what the hell?!"

He lowered his gun and exhaled.

"Sydney, for the love of God and everyone's safety, will you not ever open a window again this time of the night!"

He wrenched sleep out of his eyes. Sydney realized she was holding her breath and let go of it.

"I'm sorry, I woke up from a dream and needed some air."

He slowly approached. "Nightmare?" And let himself collapse on her bed.

"No not exactly. Although, if you'd asked me months ago I would have said yes."

He looked at her in wonder.

"Care to elaborate?"

She turned her gaze out of the window and looked upon the garden.

"Have you ever had a dream, which seemed so ridiculous and yet so real that it was more like a memory you didn't know you had. Yet it doesn't seem to fit anywhere in your life?"

He cocked an eyebrow.

"No, I can't say that I have. What was it about?"

She sighed "That's just it, I'm not really sure."

"Well that is a rather vague description."

He waited for an answer, but Sydney seemed lost in thought.

"Well, if you need me, you know where to find me. And try not to open up anymore windows."

He stood up and made his way out of her room until her voice stopped him.

"Goodnight Sark."

"Goodnight Sydney."

With Sark gone she was now alone with her thoughts again and the strange feeling that this wasn't just any other dream. It was driving her mad, because if this was real so many questions arrived. When did this happen? And why Sark and the wedding dress, and if so why had Sark never mentioned it. Why didn't she remember, and who had made sure she didn't remember? The when part was relatively easy if she indeed was 17 in the dream the only time she hadn't been in school was when she visited a special program in France, only thinking about it made her realize that she didn't have any specific memory of that time besides thinking it was fun and she had come back relaxed.

It had been the same trip where her camera had gone missing and she didn't have any pictures of her actually being there. "Could this be true?" Unconsciously she rubbed her temples in an attempt to sort out her thoughts. Still, Sark? How did he fit into the story. And then it dawned on her. Sark had been working with her mother long before she'd met him. Could Irina have been the one she was referring to in her dream? Too many questions, she went back to bed knowing she desperately needed some sleep, fearing it wouldn't come easily. The moment her head hit the pillow she was asleep again.

Meanwhile Sark was still awake. He had learnt to get sleep at any time anywhere and be alert again when necessary. It was quiet handy in his line of work. Since Sydney had come into his house however he had been even more alert, but less able to fall asleep. Now even more, it bothered him that Sydney hadn't told him what her dream was about. That she had to be so cryptic and displayed no desire to elaborate. The dream that had been so vivid and bothering to her. Her description made him go back to his memory of their first meeting, but he tried to shake the thought away, it wasn't a possibility. Irina had made sure of that, and with Irina gone there were few people left aware of that meeting. No, that meeting would stay a memory far away and hidden. He reasoned that the Sydney he had first met was not the same. Nothing in the last twelve years had triggered that memory in her. He figured nothing ever would.

**A/N: ****So I know that some sentences aren't so easy to read. I'm still looking for a bèta, I already send out pm's to people, but so far no response! So, if you're reading this and you get incredibly annoyed by my mistakes please become my bèta! I seriously need one! ****Preferably someone with English as their native language!**_  
_


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: So, for this chapter I found a friend of mine able to help out with the text. Hopefully it'll be easier to read!**

Sydney woke up the next morning with the realization that she still had to apologize to Sark for her behavior the previous evening. She found a new set of clothes on the chair next to her bed, she got dressed and went downstairs to find him. Instead she found Julia sitting at the table eating breakfast.

"Hey, have you seen Sark?"

Julia had a guilty smile on her face.

"Can't you just call him Julian?"

"I guess I'm not really used to calling people by their first name, Sark and I have been adversary's for many years, it's takes time for us to be a little bit more comfortable around each other."

"I suppose so, would you like some breakfast? I made some for you."

"I'd rather find Sark first."

Julia still went up and fixed her a plate. "Oh come on Sydney, you can find Sark after breakfast, you need to eat."

Sydney sat down in a chair.

"Yes, I just need to apologize to him."

Julia sat down in the chair across from her.

"You've been here for four weeks, and I'm aware this might be different in your world, but most people I know I wouldn't be able to spend more than a day in the same home with most of the people I know, let alone with an adversary. So tell me, how was Sark when you first met him?"

Sydney tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Julia cocked an eyebrow. "I'm well aware that Julian is not a good guy, but despite his work he's still my brother and I love him. There nothing you could tell me that could change my mind about him."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

"I just want to know who he is out there. Because obviously you know him to be a different person. And you don't trust him."

"Julia, I..."

"No, don't apologize, I can't even begin to imagine what it's like in your line of work. Trust must be something rare I suppose. But the Julian I know is kind, loving and protective. He saved my life. He didn't know I was alive till a few years ago. When he found me I was being held by the Russian mob as a prostitute."

Sydney looked at her in shock. "They kept me drugged, because when I wasn't I fought them. Your mother told Sark I was alive and he found me. He killed every single one of them. So yes, he killed people, I know, but to me that doesn't matter. Because if it wasn't for him I would still be in that hellhole."

Sydney looked away and slightly shook her head. "How did you end up there?"

Julia cracked a bitter smile. "My father sold me to them, because I reminded him too much of my mother."

"He sold you?"

"Yes."

"That explains a lot."

"How do you mean?"

Sydney was doubting whether it was a good idea to tell her this. "I met your father, Sark tortured him. And I always wondered why he would do such a thing to his own father."

Julia seemed to relax a bit. "Julian had him killed, but he got what he deserved." Silence.

By now Sydney had finished her breakfast and Julia smiled again. "Julian is really not so bad, but please give him a chance. You might even start to like him." Julia said it with a teasing smile, which Sydney choose to ignore.

"So where is he?"

**(Aushua - Hiding place)**

She found the door beneath the ivy, exactly where Julia said it would be. She pushed and behind it she found the most beautiful garden she'd ever seen. A stone path covered with moss led to a gazebo, a sea of flowers lay on both sides of it. She followed the path to the gazebo where she found Sark sitting on a bench, completely lost in thought, holding a thick red leather book. He was chewing on a pen, his stare was fixated on a large swing, hanging from a tree.

"Sark?"

Startled he got up and dropped his pen. He looked at her with complete bewilderment.

"Sydney!"

He closed the book. She felt like she'd intruded his sanctuary and shouldn't have come here.

"Julia told me I would find you here. I'm sorry for intruding, I should probably leave." She turned around, ready to retreat to the door.

"Sydney wait!"

He approached her with brisk steps. She stopped, smiling shyly keeping her eyes fixed on the ground.

"You being here is fine, You surprised me, that's all. It has been quite some time since anyone came her to disrupt my thoughts."

She was still filled with embarrassment. "I just came here to apologize for last night." She bit her lip. "I was so angry, but you were right. And I kind of needed to hear it. The fact is no one ever stood up to me like that. I'm not really used to it. And I'm also sorry for waking you last night."

He seemed rather amused by her embarrassment and apology, but made no remarks. She was grateful for that.

"It's beautiful out here." She took in the splendor of the flowers around her. "Was this always here?"

Sark began to walk back to his gazebo, inviting her to come with him.

"No." His gaze shifted back to the swing. "When my mother was a child she read 'The secret garden' by Frances Hodgson Burnett. She loved it so much that my grandmother build a wall around some part of the garden and let her have her own secret garden. When I came here for the first time, my grandmother gave me the key. And every year, if I have the opportunity, I come here to see it won't become haggard."

She looked at him wonderingly. "You do that yourself?" He let out a chuckle.

"Yes, I know it must be hard to imagine, but once a year I try to do some gardening to keep the place like this. Of course Julia always helps me."

Sydney wondered how she never had seen behind the mask and realized that her enemy wasn't all icy coldness. She jumped when something soft grazed her ankle. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Stay calm, it can probably smell fear."

He picked up the cutest looking bunny she'd ever seen. It had long white fur, dark little eyes and seemed perfectly fine being held by Sark. She giggled. "All you need now is a large black rotating chair to turn around in with your bunny." He gently stroked the pet.

"I don't need a scene like that to be villain, Sydney." He took her hand "Here, she's so soft you won't be able to resist touching her anyway." He was right, the fluffy white fur looked simply irresistible.

"Perhaps we should go inside, I'll show you my intel, after which we could begin to discuss our strategies."

She nodded.

"It's time for us to show them the meaning of the word unstoppable. You know I did tell you that you and I are destined to work together."

She laughed. "Apparently we are."


	14. Chapter 14

Sark showed Sydney his intel, they'd been sorting it out for hours, discussing which person they should target first and what kind of information was needed.

"So the ugly Russian is called Andriy Bohuslav. He's not known for being a Rambaldi follower. He has a company allegedly capable of securing almost anything. Before that he ran a division for the Soviet Union to steal American arm supplies, which wasn't such a hard job considering the fact that you Americans have the worst reputation for keeping track of your weapons."

She gave him an annoyed look.

"He started his business after 1989. Rumor has it he failed a mission for a certain company. The company agreed to spare his life and that of his family in return of his lifelong dedication to their cause."

"Which would explain why he now sides with the Rambaldi nutjobs." Sydney frantically went through the papers, "But…who is he working for. I can't seem to find anything about that."

Sark took the papers from her and restacked them into a neat pile. "That still remains the question."

"Could it be the Covenant?" He shook his head "I seriously doubt it, they would have just ordered me to seduce you."

Sydney snorted "Like that would have worked."

He bowed his head next to hers, put his hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. "Do you have so little confidence in my abilities, Sydney?" She stiffened at his touch, but his musky smell was intoxicating and she shivered involuntarily.

"If you only think…" she glanced to her side where her eyes met a very amused Sark. "Oh…"

"You are able to see when someone's playing you, aren't you?" Embarrassed she went back to looking to the stack of papers on the table. Sark saw no reason in teasing her further.

"Now it seems Bohuslav had the manuscript transferred to his headquarters. It's in the middle of a forest near Kletnya, Russia."

"Yeah, it seems that the only way to access it is by foot."

"I think our best chance is to camp out here." He pointed to a location about 6 miles (about 10 km) from the compound. "If we camp out there, we can try to go in through the tunnel out here."

"We'll end up in the basement next to the security."

"If I were to shut down their security you could go to the vault and get the manuscript."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Now, about your mother…" Sydney looked up from her papers. "All protocols for contacting her stayed unanswered, it did however result in something else."

She frowned. "And what is that?"

Sark sighed "I was send a letter, in which she stated that if she hadn't been able to check the protocol in 6 months and I would be the one to contact her, that letter would automatically be send to me. It was sort of a farewell letter."

She bit her lip in an attempt to stop her tears. "She's really gone."

"Or at least missing for six months, I'm sorry Sydney."

Her voice was unsteady "Can I see it?"

Sark had trouble not giving in, her teary brown eyes made it very hard. "I'm sorry, it's rather personal. I do assume that if your mother took the effort of sending me one, she definitely would do the same for you. When you get back to L.A. you'll probably find it waiting for you."

Sydney had trouble believing that. "I should probably contact my father." Sark nodded "Yes, you should. Is there a way for you to contact him without Sloane knowing of it?"

"Bristow." She had missed the stoic tone of her father's voice.

"Dad? It's me."

"Sydney! Where are you? Are you all right?"

"Dad, I'm fine. I'm still with Sark. Now I need to know, has Sloane lost it again?"

"How do mean?"

"Before the mission, you were telling me about Sloane, we lost connection."

Jack sighed "Yes, that damn telecom provider. I kept losing my signal. The day after I bought a new phone."

"But, Sloane?"

"He received intelligence that the manuscript contained information about The Chosen One and that you should therefore be extra careful."

"So Sloane is not back to being a Rambaldi madman?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Now tell me what happened to you. Where are you?"

"Sloane's intelligence was right. It was about The Chosen One. We were captured and they were planning on keeping us. They drugged me. I got shot. Sark managed to get us out of there and took me to a safe house. I lost some of my memories due to the drugs. Only yesterday Sark agreed to tell me what had happened. Dad, this group thinks Rambaldi prophesized me having a child with Sark, that's why they wanted to keep us."

"What?!"

"We're planning on taking them down, end all this madness. We thought returning to L.A. was a bad idea, because we weren't so sure about Sloane's allegiance."

"That might be the case, but consider this: you are still alone with the man they want you to have a child with, alone! You're well aware how his last two partnerships turned out. This might be a great move if The Covenant is still in play and he is actually still under their orders!"

"Dad! He's done nothing but help me, and promised me… "

"How many times do people need to break their promises before you learn you can't trust anyone in this business! Because Sark is not exactly known for his firm loyalty."

Sydney became really agitated. "Dad this prophecy concerns him just as much as it concerns me."

"Yes, only he couldn't care less, don't forget he's highly intellectual with some sociopathic traits. So, if I were him and still under the command of The Covenant, I would think this the best strategy for you to trust me."

"Enough dad!" Sydney almost screamed through the telephone. "He and I will work together in this. We've relocated the manuscript, I need you to send Nadia and Weiss to Kletnya in three days. We'll meet them there. I'll email Marshall the specs of the compound we're raiding."

"Sydney, I don't feel comfortable…"

"Dad! Stop it! This is how it will be. Sark and I will go with or without your help. In my opinion it seemed a better idea to go with backup this time." She hung up the phone, stopping her father from annoying her even further.

"I take it that went rather well" Sark had been standing in the door opening, listening.

"Considering I've been gone for four weeks, it went great actually. We have some preparation to do."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: So finally a big update. The flu got to me last week and this kind of delayed me posting this big chapter. Hopefully from now one I'll be quicker posting updates. Hope you enjoy! Oh and please review!**

"Ooh come on guys! You've been working nonstop for days. The sun is shining and it's 25°C. This could be the last day it seems like summer and you're working! Just stop and take a day off. Come with me to the beach!"

Sark opened his mouth to protest, but Sydney was quicker. "The girl's got a point. We could use a break, besides if I have to stare at a screen for another hour I'll go mad."

Julia grabbed Sydney by her hand and dragged her upstairs. "We're going to see which of my swimsuits fits her best! We'll be ready in 20 minutes!"

Sark smirked at Sydney's look of amusement. "My own sister is collaborating against me!" He yelled. Sydney's intelligence made him admire he already so much that seeing her in near nothing wouldn't do much good for his focus.

45 minutes later they were in one of Sark's convertible BMW's. A strand of Sydney's hair was blown into her face, she tugged it behind her ear. Sark noticed the gesture and smiled.

"What?" She asked. "Your mother has the same tell." "I remember."

"So tell me, what are you nervous about."

"Being seen in public." Lying was easy for her, and she knew the reason she gave him was valid. But Sark wasn't so careless as to go somewhere if any chance existed of being spotted. She needed the time out, preferably with Julia around. The last couple of days Sark and her had been working so close and to her own surprise they worked very well together. It was like they were lifelong partners, designed to complete one another. Sark was incredible adequate in recognizing any possible leads. Her ability to see the connections between them made them a great team, even she had to admit that working with Sark was a breeze compared to the dread she felt working with anyone at APO. Just now, sitting there with Sark and Julia felt surreal. Going to the beach as if they were all friends just like she once had with Will and Francie was confusing her, even if Julia was the nicest girl in the world and Sark had been nothing but civil. Her tone earlier had revealed nothing yet he eyed her with suspicion that made her wonder if he'd seen though her lie. He made no further comments and she let it go.

**(Vampire weekend - Holiday)**

The beach was a different one from where Sark and her had talked on the dunes. It was more quiet, there were barely any beach clubs and less people. She assumed this was the reason Sark had picked it. It was still a bit chilly, but the sun promised more heat to arrive soon. Sydney took off her sundress, she'd been pleasantly surprised to discover Julia didn't own any bikini's, but instead had a large collection of bathing suits, none of them revealing or slutty.

Sydney noticed Sark settling on their large plaid with a book, not taking off any clothes. While he opened the book she frowned and said.

"Forgot to bring your swim shorts?" Sark remained focused on his book. "Too much sun causes skin cancer."

She eyed his ¾ beige khaki pants and white buttoned shirt with rolled up sleeves and realized his skin was rather white. "Yes and not enough causes vitamin D deficiency, which is more likely in your case, considering your whiteness."

He took off his sunglasses and turned to face her. "I beg your pardon?" She grinned and shook her shoulders "Just saying you could really use some sun."

Julia and Sydney tanned, played some beach volley, tanned some more and read some magazines Julia brought. They finally decided they were completely overheated and needed to cool off.

"Julian are you coming?" For the first time in hours Sark looked up.

"I have no desire to get wet." He was clearly absorbed in his book and wouldn't even respond to Julia's pleadings and their pouting faces. They eventually gave up and walked towards the ocean, Julia suddenly stopped.

"He's going to read that book of his the entire day if we don't do something. He always does this."

Sydney looked around and smiled "I may have an idea."

She borrowed a bucket from a sweet three year old boy, filled it with seawater and walked back with Julia. Sark heard them coming.

"So how was the water?" Sydney successfully suppressed a giggle and said with genuine delight; "It was great. You should try it."

In one motion she emptied the bucket over his entire body. She'd expected just shock, and was completely unprepared for his reaction. Immediately he was up and had her pinned to the ground the next second. Surprised by his own reaction he stammered. "Bristow…you didn't just…" When he noticed she was still dry besides from a few drops that had come from his own clothing. A devilish smirk came to his lips. "Very well." He grabbed her middle and swung her over his shoulder while standing up.

"I shall return the favor." Sydney, who had been to stunned to react finally came to her senses.

"Sark wait!"

"Resisting is futile Bristow."

"I could always kill you." She sputtered.

"You know better than to use your skills amongst civilians."

He was right, she knew it. Her little act and his reaction had drawn a lot of attention. He was now up to his knees in the water, maybe she could take him with her? Still, no escaping getting wet anymore. She mentally prepared for what was to come, Sark felt her tighten, the water was almost coming up this his waist now. He slowly took her in his arms, surprised that she didn't struggle. She stared at him a bit helpless, playfully he told her. "You just can't beat me, Bristow." And with that he dove into the water with her.

When he arose he couldn't see Sydney anywhere, and because of the darkness of the water it was impossible to see where she was. "Sydney?!" He looked, but didn't spot any signs as to where she was. He turned to the beach to see just Julia and a few bystanders, starting to look a bit concerned. The moment he decided to dive under he was dragged down. When he reached the surface he received a splash of water in his eyes. Sydney was standing in front of him with a teasing smile.

"I can try."

"Well that was rather childish."

"So was your retaliation." After some more splashing they returned to the beach where Julia was standing now talking to some people her age.

"So guys, you know Julian and this is his girlfriend Sydney." Sydney's eyes went large and she opened her mouth to protest, but Sark wrapped a wet arm around her and immediately an electric bolt went down her spine in reaction to his touch. She recovered and gave them her best fake smile.

"So you're friends with Julia?" A girl with a blond ponytail replied. "Yes, we do the same study actually, so nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Sark led her back to the plaid. "We're going to dry up a bit, see you later girls. Oh and Julia I need you for just a second to come with us." "Sure." She turned towards her friends and said "Wacht even, ik ben zo terug." (wait a minute, I'll be right back). When they'd reached the plaid Sark let go of Sydney, she shivered.

"Care to tell me what that was all about?" Julia kept smiling, fully aware her friends were still watching.

"They're still watching you know, and I did what you taught me. The most convincing lie is the most obvious observation. They saw me and then recognized you and asked about Sydney. It seemed like the best option, especially since you were being very friendly."

Sark bit his lip. "I'm afraid you're right." He now turned his attention to Sydney. "We need to keep our cover, so as long her friends are around we will act like a couple. Can you handle that?" Sydney nodded, still a bit dumfound by the sudden situation. In any other situation she would have protested, but she realized it would only raise suspicion.

"But Julia, try to keep them off the subject and no details, ever! Sydney and I met at work, and we've been together for three years now. Which is the last time they saw me. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

Julia left and Sark handed Sydney a towel. She dried herself off quickly and lay down on the plaid. Pretending to be Sark's girlfriend wasn't the problem, she had been in so many aliases and played so many different persons. Only last night she had another dream. This time she had been with Sark in the garden en he had been pushing her on the swing. It had the same familiarity as the one before, and he had been kissing her again. So maybe this did come to close for her comfort.

Her thoughts were disrupted by the clicking sound of bottle of sun lotion being opened. He wouldn't have the guts to…A pair of lotion filled hands began massaging her back.

"We don't want you to get burned, love." A moan escaped her. This wasn't really good for her imagination either, which began to wonder what else he was capable of with those hands. He leaned in closer, still circling her back with his fingers.

"I suggest we return home soon. I can imagine you do not want to put on much of a show so sudden. Maybe you can complain about being cold as soon as they approach again and we'll make our exit." Sydney was so absorbed in the touch of his hands that she hadn't the faintest idea what he had been saying and a sigh was her only response.

"Sydney? Are you even listening?" He let his hands rest and repeated the question. This time she came to her senses. "Sorry what were you saying?" Sark rolled off her back and next to her. He was leaning very close and Sydney had trouble finding a good place to look. "I suggest you complain about being cold the next time they're here. So we don't have to continue this charade much longer." She nodded. Too bad the massage was over.

Later Julia approached with her friends. Sydney followed Sark's advice and suggested they would leave the beach. Julia had decided to stay with her friends and promised to be home for dinner. Their drive home had been silent. Sydney was the one to finally break it when she excused herself to go upstairs and change. When she had retreated upstairs Sark exhaled deeply and let himself fall down on the couch. "Oh Julia, what have you done?!" He murmured.

His phone rang. It was Julia. "Yes?"

"Soooo Julian, remember what you promised last time?" He sighed.

"Julia, that doesn't seem like a great idea right now. You know we're incredibly busy with our…business."

"Yes, but you promised! The girls are very eager to be delighted by your cooking skills." He heard a giggle. "They're listening aren't they?"

"Yes!" A choir of girls responded. "Good Lord, help us. Well it seems I have no choice in the matter. Be here at…" He glanced at his watch. "6.30."

"We will! Bye now, Julian!" He was looking very grim when Sydney's voice got him out of his thoughts. "Who died?" Sydney was descending the stairs in a long white dress. His mouth fell open. "Sydney." He stammered. "Is something wrong?" He shook his head as to clear it.

"Well, Julia is coming over with her friends for dinner." He kept staring at her dress. "Is something wrong with the dress?" She asked, inspecting whether it was dirty in any way. "No it's just that I believe Julia wears this dress as a night gown."

"Really?"

"Yes, so maybe you should change. I believe it's time we'll get you some clothes of your own." She smiled. "Thank you, but I'm fine, really."

"No, it's not. I'll get you some clothes of your own tomorrow." It was clear he didn't appreciate a discussion at the moment. "Now about dinner, we need to pretend to be a couple. I know that this is all very unfortunate, but it's important for Julia's safety. I know you're great at taking on an alias, so I hope this won't provide any difficulty for you."

It's just for an evening, I'll be fine." He walked distracted to the kitchen but stopped mid-way, without turning around he spoke. "If you open up Julia's closet, completely on the left you'll find a collection of black dresses, I suggest you put on one of those." His behavior struck her as odd, but she immediately let it go.

"I'll be gone for a while, I'll see you in an hour or two. Could you help me prepare the food than? I might need some help." She made her way up the stairs again. "Sure, whatever you need."


	16. Chapter 16

Sark made his way out of the house as fast as he could. He took his fastest car and sped off like his life depended on it. He ended up at parking space of Elswout. He bonked his head against the steering wheel.

"Why did I ever tell her?!"

For the first time in a very long time he felt insecure. Unsure as to what was the right cause of action and unable to foresee Sydney's reaction to all of this.

"She's going to hate me for this."

Meanwhile Sydney had found a little black dress to wear and decided to clean of the place to keep her mind of the coming events. She had no idea how Sark wanted to play this relationship thing and his behavior hadn't been of much help. His expression kept coming back to her mind. Why had he been so freaked out about the dress? She found herself scrubbing the kitchen when Sark returned. He stayed very silent and asked her to cut the vegetables.

"So, what are we eating?"

Sark found himself a cutting board and started to attack the chicken filets.

"We're going to barbecue."

"Really? After Weiss' comment I would have thought you a man of haute cuisine."

"I am, but today it's too hot for that. Besides I don't think that Julia's friends would appreciate some 'escargotes'."

"Wow, neither would I."

Sydney finished cutting the bell peppers and began peeling the onions when she heard Sark stopping his frantic cutting.

"Wait!"Sydney dropped the knife and looked up.

"What is it?" He went through a drawer, he pulled a bottel from it.

"Here, putting canola oil on your knife will make sure your eyes won't get teary." She took it, still a bit surprised by his sudden reaction.

"Thanks."

He went back to slaughtering the chicken. She wondered what bothered him so much. He stopped his cutting again and turned his attention back to her.

"Sydney, look I'm really sorry for this. I wish there was any other way, mainly because of the situation we're trying to solve. If there was any other way."

She looked at him wonderingly.

"Sark, it's okay. I get it. It's not a problem."

She tugged a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I was wondering though, why did you tell them we've been together for three years?"

Sark picked up his knife and started to slice the chicken in a normal pace.

"I thought it would be a better idea. Otherwise we would be a newly couple and those usually display a lot more affection."

She nodded, feeling stupid for having asked. "Off course." She sighed. "What if they ask about any details?" "Let me do the talking and just follow my lead. We'll be fine."

Sark was laying the table in the garden when the Julia arrived with seven of her friends. Soon they were all seated and the feasting could begin. Sydney soon realized Sark had chosen to barbecue to be busy all the time. He was constantly either making sure the meat wouldn't burn or getting more meat from the kitchen. After an hour she hadn't seen him eat a single bite. She laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Why don't take a break for a while and eat something yourself."

She felt he was being uncomfortable with the situation, but his face showed nothing of the sort. The moment he sat down the girl with the blond ponytail immediately turned her attention to him.

"So Julian, how did you meet Sydney?"

Sydney could understand why Sark would feel uncomfortable. The attention of the whole group was now on him. He took a bite and slowly chewed it down.

"Sydney and I met three years ago when our company stationed us at the same location. We've been working very close since the beginning and immediately hit it off."

That didn't seem to satisfy the girls.

"That's a very boring beginning for a love story."

Sark had trouble eating anything with all the attention focused on him. Sydney could see it, but she wondered if any of the girls noticed it too. Like he was embarrassed to eat while everybody was watching.

"I'm afraid not every relationship starts with an exciting story." He took a large draft of his wine.

"Oh come on Julian, you told me she had magenta hair when you first met!" Sark and Sydney both turned very pale. She could see him swallow and throw an irritated look in Julia's direction.

"Yes, that's true." The attention now turned to Sydney, who had been standing unnoticed by the barbecue. "It was just a phase, my parents never let me dye my hair. So when I first moved out I colored my hair in the most exceptional color I could think of. Unfortunately I didn't realize how long it would take for it to grow out. So I walked around with bright pink hair for quite some time."

Another girl asked Sydney: "So when did you know you had him wrapped around your finger?" Sydney chuckled.

"There was this one time, after work. We all went to a bar, I sang this ridiculous song and even though my singing was awful, he couldn't keep his eyes off me. I walked over to him." She slowly walked over to Sark.

"And played a little with his curls." She let her hand go through the slight curls in his neck, she could swear she felt him stiffen.

"Julian then couldn't help but smile and I knew I had him." This seemed to be more satisfying to the girls' curiosity. Sark smirked.

"Yes, even despite the ridiculous hair, I thought you were amazing." He turned his head, Sydney noticed his eyes seemed dark. He gently pulled her down and kissed her on her temple.

All the girls together let out an "Awww…" "You're so cute together!" Sydney was still recovering from the loving gesture. Unsure which of them had been more affected by the scene. Sark seemed to recover a bit quicker than her.

"Thank you. Now enough of our story and more of your ambitious plans on saving the world, practicing medicine. And maybe some embarrassing stories about Julia. That would be nice." The girls laughed.

"Well, there was this one time…"

Julia had just let her friends out and Sydney had retreated to her quarters. Sark took Julia's arm and practically dragged her to his office.

"Julian! Stop it! Let go of me!" He locked the door behind him.

"Are you out of your mind?! Are you trying to torture me?" His voice sounded desperate.

"Because that's exactly what you're doing. You've promised me, only days ago that you would never bring it up and then you send her to the garden. And conveniently your friends show up at the beach and you make her pretend to be my girlfriend?! Do you even realize what you're doing? Do you want her to hate me even more? And by any chance do you have any more tricks up your sleeve? Because I cannot take it any longer!"

His last words were spoken in hoarse desperation and he broke down in tears. Standing in the middle of his office, feeling completely lost. Julia who'd been nailed to the ground took action, she hugged him.

"Julian, I'm so sorry. I meant no harm, she just needed to see you in a different light." He laughed bitterly.

"A different light? Really? And that would magically make her love me. Your naïf Julia. Sydney would only think it to be a trick. Especially now." Julia looked at him astonished. "Are you kidding me? She's on the verge of falling for you and the only thing you do is taking more distance. You're simply afraid of what would happen if she did in fact developed feelings for you."

He sighed. "You're mistaken."

Though a little part of him hoped that her words held some truth to it. He sank down in one of his black leather chairs.

"Grab me a scotch, would you?" Julia poured him a glass and handed it over, he swirled it and then took a large draft.

"And for heaven sake, why the white dress?! I almost had a heart attack when Sydney came down the stairs." Julia sunk down in the chair opposite of his.

"I hoped she would remember. I mean most people with memory loss are able to regain some of them by repeating previous actions, like for instance coming down the stairs in a white wedding dress?" He finished his drink.

"Unfortunately your little plan didn't work, and we've already been to…" The sudden realization hit him. The dream, the one she had been so reticent about. It had been the night after their walk in Elswout. "Julian?" Maybe she was remembering. That would explain why she had been so freaked out about it. "Julian?" Maybe if she would have remembered that, she could have remembered more. "Julian?!" He was snapped out of his thoughts by Julia, pinching him.

"I'm right next to you and you're not reacting to my voice. What is it?" A playful smile came upon his face. "Goodnight Julia." He gently shoved her out of his office.

"Julian?! What are you not telling me?"

"You've been of great help sis, but I'm not telling you anything anymore. Sleep tight!" With that he closed the door and went to grab another scotch. He needed a plan.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Sooo I did something I should have done waaaay earlier. That is make a pinterest board with all the songs I used in the story and pictures of how Sark's cars and house looks. So I made that and I'm still busy adding stuff, but you can find me on Pinterest . co m by writing behind it on the homepage tangosisterspy that will get you to my account and you can see my boards. Still working on it. But it's better than letting you guys search Google.**

Sydney lay in her bed thinking about everything that happened that day. She felt weird, a constant stress was bothering her, it affected her stomach and seemed to strangle her throat. Her mind kept wandering back to the moment on the beach, his hands all over her back. To the moment she'd descended the stairs and Sark seemed to be struck by her appearance, to the scene in the kitchen and mostly to the moment he'd kissed her during dinner. Her thoughts kept her from falling asleep. She moved to sit on the edge of bed. Her father had advised her once to always be able eat or sleep whenever she could. As an agent, time to sleep was mostly scarce and she should always be prepared and ready. But here, staying in this house with Sark. It had her of her A-game, she'd lost her focus. She needed her focus and for that she would need a decent night of sleep. Tomorrow they would leave for Kletnya, perhaps a drink would stop her tired brain from overanalyzing. She treated softly as she passed Sark's room, she hadn't heard him go to bed, but if he was asleep she didn't want to wake him. The last thing she needed was another confrontation with that pair of blue eyes.

**(Song = Bon Iver - Bloodbank)**

Standing in the kitchen she realized she had no idea where Sark kept his strong liquor. Defeated she opened the fridge, perhaps some juice then.

"You're still awake?"

His voice startled her so much she dropped the glass can of orange juice. "Oh geez." Her bare feet were covered in glass.

"I 'm sorry I didn't mean to frighten you." Sydney tried to step out of the glass.

"Yeah, well you did."

"Wait! Let me help you."

"No. I'll be fine."

She tried to reach a spot without glass, but ended up cursing as she stepped into a large shard of glass. She cried out in pain, she felt herself being lifted. A pair of amused blue eyes were staring back at her.

"I believe I've said this before, but stop being so stubborn, you'll only get yourself hurt and we need to walk a substantial distance tomorrow." He sat her down on the counter. He got a towel and instructed her to wash her feet in the sink in the hope of removing most of the pieces. "I have a pair of tweezers in my office and a first aid kit." When she was done he tried to lift her again, she pushed him back.

"What are you doing? I'm fine I can walk."

He looked from her to the floor and gave her an annoyed look." She sighed in defeat and let Sark pick her up.

She could smell the scotch on him. Apparently she hadn't been the only one in need for a drink. He sat her down in the same black leather chair he'd been occupying only minutes before. On a table next to it she saw an almost empty glass. He opened a closet searching for the first aid kit. Sydney took the time to admire his office, she hadn't been here before. The room had large windows with black velvet curtains. Four of the leather chairs stood in a circle. A large dark mahogany desk formed the center of the room. The walls were wood paneled, but painted white. A classic office with a touch of Sark. Yes, it definitely suited him.

He sat down before her, throwing the kit next to him on the ground.

"Just keep still." She realized she was being awfully quiet.

"I'm sorry." She was unable to identify the look he gave her.

"Luckily for you I was still awake, but you went to bed over an hour ago. Couldn't sleep?"

"No. Ouch!" He removed a large piece of glass from her foot bed.

"That might need a stitch or two. If you keep being this clumsy, we'll never be able to go on missions."

"I'm not clumsy!"

"You got yourself shot and now you've decided to walk on glass. I won't call it the most spy worthy actions of the year." She laughed.

"You may have a point. I just came down to get a drink. And then standing in the kitchen I realized I had no idea where you keep the strong liquor. I settled for orange juice, but I'm actually dying for tequila." Sark cocked an eyebrow.

"Can you remember the last time you had tequila?" She shook her head.

"No, not really."

"My point exactly." It began to dawn on her.

"Oh no, when Weiss and Nadia…"

"Yes, indeed. Although you were a little less tense with the tequila." Images from that night flashed through her mind, turning her cheeks red.

"I told you about Vaughn?" He started stitching up her biggest wound.

"Yes, you did" She rubbed her temples.

"How could I forget about that night?" Without looking up from his stitching he snorted.

"Well, you did finish almost two-third of the bottle tequila." She frowned.

"If I drank that much, how come you were hangover too? Can't hold your liquor?" She said teasing.

"I must say that imprisonment always lowers my threshold, but there were two bottles. One of them was only half full. So in the end I think we almost had the same amount." She suddenly remembered something.

"You called me the most beautiful and deadliest spy in the world. Did you mean it?" Now it was Sark's turn to become red. He didn't reply. She thought it to be rather funny and unlike him to be embarrassed over a compliment.

She noticed a wooden globe held by a table, that would probably the place his liquor was hidden. Sark made her feel helpless, like a clumsy sixteen year old with raging hormones. She didn't like it at all. She wondered why he was having this effect on her. She was aware that some part of it was the result of her dreams, they had softened her opinion of him. She couldn't help but to stay suspicious, it had become her nature to distrust. Her father's suggestion, about this being the perfect tactic was not so far-fetched. Admitting that, she realized it was working. Was she falling for him? Her nausea became pretty much near unbearable and she forget how to breath. Sark looked up, immediately the feeling worsened. A hot rush rose to her cheeks. Was she…? No! Bad Sydney! Worst timing ever. She mentally slapped herself for even thinking such things. With an organization that already wanted them to come together, her feelings could not be allowed to run wild.

"It's done, you should be fine tomorrow." He stood up, halfway Sydney stopped him by putting her hand on his.

"Sark?" His eyes met hers, he held his breath. She was so close. She felt his breathing stop, what was she going to say again? Her stomach made another turn.

"Thank you." It came out as a whisper. He licked his lips.

"Sydney…" His voice sounded hoarse. Was he going to kiss her? The tightening of her air pipe worsened. He was inches from her, with her free hand she squeezed the chair. It was all she could do from stopping herself of giving in. He came even closer and she realized she was about to find out if those lips were as soft as they looked.

"Julian! What the hell happened in the kitchen?!" Julia's voice snapped them out of their moment. Sark backed off immediately. Julia appeared in the doorway only a second later.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?" Her grin went from ear to ear. Sark regained his usual coolness.

"Sydney dropped the can of juice and after dancing on the glass, she needed someone to help remove the shards."

"My big brother to the rescue." Sydney stood up.

"I will clean up the mess." Sark collected the packages from the bandages.

"No. Julia will you please help Sydney return to bed. I'll clean up the kitchen."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, goodnight." Julia gave him a knowing look, while Sydney avoided making any eye contact.

Julia hadn't made any remarks and only wished her goodnight. Once again she was alone with her thoughts. She let herself collapse on her large bed. On top of her blankets she fell asleep with a million more questions to her mind.

Soon she was dreaming. She was sitting in front of a mirror. Her mother stood behind her with bobby pins in her mouth. She was stuffing one in her hair.

"So, that's it, You're done." Sydney stood up, her mother readjusted her gown and veil. She smiled and put a hand to her mouth, tears appeared in her eyes.

"Sweetheart, you look so beautiful." She hugged her.

"It's time to go."

Sydney took a last look at herself in the mirror. She felt like a princess in her long flowing gown. She followed her mother to the stairs. Her mother instructed her to stay until she called her. When she was downstairs she gave Sydney permission to come down. Slowly she descended the stairs, careful not to trip on her heels or her gown. That wouldn't be very graceful. She was nervous about Julian's reaction, no disappointment there. He stood at the base of the stairs, holding a bouquet of light pink peonies. He looked stunned, completely focused on her.

"You look…" He started. "Absolutely amazing. I know this is all fun and games, but I would be the luckiest guy in the world." A shy smile appeared on her face. He reached out his hand for her to descend the last few steps. He handed her the bouquet.

"Ready?"

For the third time this week she was woken up by the sensation of her dream. Again, wondering what was happening to her and if she should mention it to Sark. If this had been real it would explain Sark freaking out over her coming down the stairs in Julia's dress. She fought back the tears that surfaced. Tomorrow she would see Nadia, finally someone to share her ridiculous dreams with. She'd considered telling Julia about it, but she could see Julia wanted them together and this would only fuel her fantasies. Besides, if anything happened it was probably spy related and Sark wouldn't have told her. It took her an hour to get back to sleep, trying to avoid thinking about the moment in Sark's study. It was becoming way too much to handle.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: So I'm posting this chapter now, but later today the next chapter will follow. I'm finishing it now, hoping to improve my spelling errors. I'm very curious though what you guys think of my story. So please take a second to write a review. I really want to improve the story. Also I'm going to try and up the speed of the story. I have so many things planned! I would otherwise take forever and the story will never finish! Hope you enjoy!**

They travelled separately, Sydney didn't even remember what reason Sark had given her for doing so. She hadn't mind, needing the time alone to think. It was only half way her flight, after an hour and a half she realized she wasn't just alone. She felt lonely. She missed his company, she hadn't even noticed how much she'd been enjoying it for the past few weeks.

After another hour and a half she landed. She had a long ride to Bryansk ahead of her, there she would meet Sark and after which they would go to the CIA safe house in Kletnya to see Nadia and Weiss. From there they would hike through the forest, camp for a few hours and finally raid the compound. Sydney had a bad feeling about it. It could be another trap. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she couldn't shake the idea that something horrible was about to happen.

At the airport she changed her appearance. A shoulder length blond wig danced around her face. Pink bright lips and a southern accent. She felt as shallow as her alias, she made her way to the taxis. Soon she would be reunited with Sark, and then finally her sister. After all these years of being an only child is was a relieve to have someone with a family as dysfunctional as hers. Even worse, having Sloane as a father. Unconsciously her fingertips touched her lips as her mind wandered back to the look on Sark's face in the study. It had held as much desire as she'd felt. She shook the thought away and slipped back into her alias annoying the driver with questions about the buildings she saw on her way out of town.

Sark had rented a jeep and met her in Bryansk. They looked like a travelling couple, but not a single word had been uttered after his enquiries about her flight. She'd only nodded in reply and neither of them seemed eager to break their silence. A very enthusiastic Nadia embraced a very tired Sydney at their arrival. Weiss immediately pulled Sark with him mentioning something about getting something from the store before leaving. Sydney was grateful, it was the opportunity she'd been hoping for. Sark glanced at her a last time before following Weiss out the door.

"He's going to threaten me, isn't he?" Nadia nodded.

"I thought so."

The door had been closed for a second when Nadia pinched her arm.

"What are you doing?" Sydney tried looking innocent and confused, she failed miserably and sunk down on the couch.

"What exactly do you mean. The part where I decided to stay with Sark, or the part where I started to fall for the man." Nadia's shock was evident.

"You what?" Sydney closed her eyes, unsure where she should begin.

"I agreed to stay with him because…" She thought for second.

"It seemed logical, because we thought Sloane had turned evil again." That seemed to confuse Nadia even more.

"But, that was an incorrect assumption. It was the reason I agreed to stay and fight the bastards who took us. What happened next was the reason I am becoming horribly confused and fighting feelings that are incredibly misplaced." She sighed. Nadia sat down next to her.

"I've been having these dreams, so vivid, there like…memories of a time I couldn't remember before." Nadia had a concerned look on her face.

"What kind of dreams?" Sydney sat up straight tugging a strand of her wig behind her ear.

"Of me in a wedding dress, kissing Sark. When we were about 17 or so. It's stupid because, that time I was supposed to be in France, the thing is I can't recall a single memory of that time. Nor do I have any photos to prove that I was ever there. Convenient huh?"

"Sydney, what if it's your mind is trying to make sense of everything you're going through. It's not nothing. These people want you to have a child with him. You've been with him for weeks, he saved your life. And you broke up with Vaughn after being alone for a year."

"That is all very true, but these dreams are too detailed and they seem to come after things I've been through the day before."

"Then it's just a dream, your brain is piecing together a story from the things you go through in a day and makes an abstract version of it." Sydney wasn't in the slightest convinced by her explanation.

"Nadia, I don't expect you to understand, but I just know that this is real. I think it may be the reason he's so…unlike himself."

"You're sure it's not just a trick?"

"Can we ever be sure in this life? No. My dad said that it could be the perfect way to make the prophecy come true, he was right. Sark always had long-term goals. I can't help it, it's like I've been searching for someone all my life, to fill the hole that was left growing up without a mother. With Danny I thought that void was filled, but he didn't know about my spy life, didn't really know who I was. Vaughn was there for me, but even when we got together the first time he had to break up with his girlfriend after we kissed. I was second best, and then Lauren. Now he can't shake it and I came second again. I'm so sick of it, I long for a time when I can actually build on someone and move my life in another direction than just a new mission with a new Rambaldi object." Nadia gave her a friendly bump to the shoulder.

"I just think this Rambaldi thing has got your clock ticking." Sydney showed her a weak smile.

"Yeah, maybe."

"You should know that we saw a video of the warehouse from the moment you were shot. Sark picked you up and told you he would take care of you. The look he had on his face…like he became emotional seeing you that way. It looked sincere. Your dad didn't want you to know this. He also wants you both to come back to L.A. after the mission." Sydney was trying to process her words when Nadia spoke again.

"There's also something else I'm supposed to inform you about." Nadia's look worried Sydney.

"What is it?"

"Vaughn has been missing since the last time you spoke to him. Rumor has it he's gone rogue." Sydney lifted an eyebrow and shook her head, refusing to believe it.

"There must be some mistake. Vaughn is a loyal agent. For the memory of his father alone he would never betray the CIA." Nadia's look became even more apologetic.

"You're father thinks the reason he choose to work with them, is because they promised him to lead him to his father."

"What?!" The door opened, Weiss came in with a large grin on his face.

"Do you know they have gummy bears here? We really needed those." Sark walked in a bit slower, his expression gave away nothing. Sydney wondered what Weiss had been telling him. She reminded herself to ask him when she had the chance. She then realized she'd almost forgot about Vaughn. She didn't want to believe any of it, sadly he wouldn't be the first person she'd loved that turned out not to be what he seemed. She put the thought away in her compartmentalized brain, first the mission. Her questions would have to wait.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Okay, so small extra update. The song can be found at my Pinterest page, if you search for Sister Spy, you will find me as the only pinner. So please do, the songs make it so much more fun to read! Next chapter will be the mission, and I can tell you already I will be a hell of mission! Enjoy!**

**(Song: Blitzen Trapper - Furr)**

They'd been walking for three straight hours when they reached the spot they would make camp. It was late already, they would have a few hours of sleep. The men would take turns to stay on guard. Weiss and Nadia were both asleep, Sark was finishing his dinner while Sydney tried to figure out how to start a conversation.

"Did you choose this life?" He finished his last bite.

"Why?"

"Because I'm curious how you ended up in the spy game, with my mother? He seemed lost in thought, staring into the fire.

"When I was young I was a participant in The Project Christmas variant of the KGB your mother brought with her. After boarding school Irina approached me. She was a friend of Gerard Cuvee, who had been my father's best friend when I was little. She offered me all the challenge and adventure I could have wanted. " She felt a shock go through her at the mentioning of Project Christmas.

"You were in Project Christmas?" She saw him bite his under lip.

"Yes."

"Just like Alison." His face gave away nothing, but Sydney could swear she saw something flicker in his eyes the moment she mentioned Alison.

"Yes, and just like yourself." His voice was cooler and had something bitter to it.

"I'm sorry." He suddenly stood up. "For what?" She grabbed his hand.

"You cared for her." He tried to take his hand back.

"It doesn't matter she's dead now." She pulled him down.

"I am sorry, because in our business it's easy to forget that we're all still people and that your enemies sometimes do care for the people we hurt."

He observed her and the emotion she'd seen in his eyes before became more visible.

"I'd known Alison for some time, because of Project Christmas we shared a similar history. I did care for her, but when The Covenant reunited us again she was different. More vengeful, harsher. And when your friend Will killed her I realized she'd been dead for two years. I moved on."

With Lauren, Sydney quickly added, but kept her thoughts to herself.

"Do you ever wish for another life?" He chuckled.

"Of a wife and kids? With a dog and no bullets? No, not at all. Although, I guess it would be nice to have an exit strategy." She cocked an eyebrow.

"Like starting to work for the CIA in exchange for a pardon agreement?" A slightly amused smile appeared on his lips.

"You're still looking for ulterior motives?"

"Can't you see why? Before all of this you had the reputation of being a cold and ruthless killer with an expensive taste in wine, a fondness of Mercedes and known for a closet full of Armani suits. You're kind of a killer snob." He had troubling holding his laughter.

"You CIA people are so easy to fool, it's adorable really. That is exactly the image I wanted them to have of me. You see, it doesn't come in very handy, looking so young in our business, at least not when I was your mothers second in command. I needed this kind of reputation to be taken serious. " He could see Sydney believed him, but wasn't satisfied.

"Well, it worked all right. But really what made you change all of that? Why did you want to work with APO? You could have just run off ."

"I…" He hesitated, should he tell her? "First of all, I promised you I would help you catch Anna. I really am a man of my word. Second, having lost Lauren, I realized I wanted something else for my life. Something I'd always wanted." Rather someone, he thought. Her, but he couldn't tell her yet, she would not understand.

"In order to get that, working with APO and securing a pardon agreement would be the first step in the right direction."

"So just another great strategy plan from the elusive Mr. Sark." He bowed slightly.

"Thank you, you are too kind." He would make her understand one day. If only she knew. He could see some disappointment in her expression, maybe she'd been fishing for more. He wished her goodnight and she went to get some sleep. He stretched his legs, he realized he was smiling like a fool. He was going to get her, soon.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: The mission! Finally! So I saw on my stats that a lot of people probably missed chapter 18. Because I updated twice in one day. So if you think something is not making sense go back and see if you missed it! Very curious as to what you think of my story developments after chapter. Have fun reading!**

"Merlin, this Phoenix, we're on sight. Waiting for go."

"Phoenix, this is Merlin. You are clear to enter the tunnel. Evergreen you have three guards at one o'clock. Infrared shows about 20 personnel on the grounds. Try to stay out of the kitchen. Looks like someone's having a birthday over there. Hey Syd, how do like the laser-lipstick by the way? Was it too pink? Because I thought it would look really good on you." Marshall babbled away while Sydney and Sark opened the panel that led to the tunnel.

"It was fine, Marshall. I'm up linking the security feed to you, right….now." She slid two cables between a device.

"Okay Phoenix, cameras are looped. You can proceed." She eyed the infrared pattern that covered part of the tunnel.

"You're sure we can't disable the infrared?"

"Unfortunately no, well off course I could, you know, if I were there and could hack in directly into their system and then…" Sark had enough of his chattering.

"Okay we got it, proceeding." Sydney stepped over the first line, Sark followed her closely.

"You know it's a good thing you're so flexible." Sydney gave him a partly annoyed look.

"How would you know?" She teased. His trade mark smirk appeared.

"Oh dear Sydney, because of our tango I'm well aware of your flexibility. We really should do that more often." Only thinking about their passionate dancing made her blush. Mission, focus Sydney. Leave it up to Sark to bring up things she almost had forgotten about.

They made their way through the maze of red lines and reached the end of the corridor.

"I'll let you know when you can enter the vault." Sark entered the security room. Shot both of the guards, and sat down behind the monitors.

"Phoenix you're clear to try and open the vault."

Sydney attached the device Marshall had created to open the vault. It was disguised as a camera. It took about a minute for the numbers of the right combination appeared on the screen. Sydney entered them quickly. With a loud noise the enormous vault door opened.

"I'm heading into the vault."

"Copy that Phoenix, I'm still copying their database." He had high hopes of finding information that would lead them to the organization that was causing their misery.

Nadia and Weiss had shot the guards outside and were moving in through the front.

"Evergreen, the hallway is clear, you can enter." Sark was keeping eyes on the building through the security camera's. Sydney entered the vault. In the middle was a glass case, beneath it the Rambaldi manuscript that was apparently the reason people were set on her having a child with Sark. She had the urge to blow the vault and the manuscript to hell, just to be done with it.

"Hey Sark, maybe we should just fix this problem with some C4, did you happen to pack any?" She cut the glass with a laser disguised as a pen.

"I'm afraid not, I only keep those in my Armani suits." Sydney snickered. She carefully removed the book and put it in the suitcase she brought. An alarm went off.

"Phoenix, you have incoming, removing the book alerted everyone in the building. I'm coming!" Sydney shot three guards before her clip was empty. She knocked another unconscious with the butt of her gun. She entered the hallway, she needed to get to the main level to get out. She saw Sark twisting the neck of a guard, his eyes caught her. A little out of breath he yelled. "Go upstairs, I'm still copying their database. I'll see you in five." Sydney nodded in reply and made her way up. She knew none of the guards were to survive this visit of theirs, but seeing Sark twisting someone's neck reminded her of his killer nature.

**(Song = The Antlers - Kettering)**

The moment she was done climbing the stairs she felt she wasn't alone, a guard came spinning round the corner and knocked her gun out of her hands. She stood defenseless, no gun, Sark still downstairs and the guard was too far away for her to kick the AK-47 out of his hand that was pointing at her.

"грязные американцев!" (Filthy Americans!) He was going to shoot her, this was it.

"No!" A familiar voice followed by gunfire filled her ears and made her body freeze.

Someone had come between her and the shooter. At her feet lay Vaughn, four gunshots to the chest. A pool of blood began form beneath him. The guard still stood there, trying to comprehend what was going on. A single gunshot through the head made the guard go down. Sydney turned, behind her stood Sark lowering his gun. Concern and shock was evident in his expression.

"Sydney?!" Sydney knelt down next to Vaughn, he was barely conscious, blood was everywhere.

"Syd?" He coughed up blood.

"Vaughn? Why were you here?" She was crying so hard her tears blurred her vision. She took Vaughn into her arms. He had trouble getting the words out.

"Syd, my father…he's alive. He told me about the prophecy, that I wasn't meant for you. Because you were always meant for him." He nodded in Sark's direction.

"That's why I couldn't be with you anymore. I'm so sorry. I love you so much, you know that right." Sydney nodded while sobbing.

"Yes." She almost choked on her words.

"I've always loved you…some things will never change." His eyes lost focus and turned away. He let go of his last breath. Sydney became hysterical.

"No Vaughn! Damn it! Wake up!" She shook him frantically. Her brain knew it was pointless, her heart refused to give up on the man she once called her guardian angel. Later on she barely remembered Sark shooting more guards or Weiss and Nadia entering. Sark had shouted something, she wouldn't remember what. Sark had dragged her away from his body. She had fought him, shouted something about taking him with them, but the emotional exhaustion and the wearing off of the adrenaline made her give up. Later on she didn't know whether she'd fallen asleep in the jeep where Sark had placed her or became unconscious due to impact of Vaughn's death.

It was the ultimate betrayel and final straw for the spy that had endured so much for so long. Sark eyed her and saw the pain in her expression, even while being unconscious, he adjusted his earpiece.

"Marshall, get me Jack Bristow on the line." Weiss sped off into the forest. It would be a long way home.

Sydney woke up in the medical ward of APO. Nadia lay with her upper half on the bed, holding her hand. Sydney's stirring had awoken her too.

"Hey."

"Hey, how are you?" Sydney's lower lip started to tremble, her eyes became watery again.

"Awful." She answered truthfully.

"How did I get here?" Nadia seemed to hesitated for a second.

"You were out the moment Sark put you in the vehicle. He called your father, they agreed to keep you sedated until you arrived here." It didn't even surprise her.

"What day is it?"

"That was two weeks ago." Sydney looked at her, not comprehending how two weeks could have passed.

"When the sedation had worn off, you didn't wake up. The doctors said your body shut down due to the stress you'd been through." Sydney let out a heavy sigh.

"I should stop losing time this way. It's an awful way of spending my life." She swung her legs out of bed.

"Sydney, are you sure you want to do this?" She looked her directly in the eye.

"You know, we're supposed to get used to the betrayal, lies and dead. The truth is, I'll never get used to it. It makes me sick, not knowing who to trust. Speaking of trust has Sark already bailed on us?" A headache was making her aware she was a little dehydrated and when her feet hit the floor her legs went all wobbly. Nadia caught her before she fell and helped her get back to bed.

"Sark carried you to the plane, he made sure you had an IV with fluids. When we got here he tried really hard to not appear concerned, but he checked up on you every hour. When you're father found him asleep, sitting next to you and holding your hand, he had him banished from this floor. I don't know what you did to the man, but I think his personality file needs updating."

"Apparently." Sydney didn't believe what she was hearing. She started laughing and crying at the same time. Nadia squeezed her hand, waiting for her to speak.

"In less than two months my enemy switched roles with the person I trusted most in this world." Her laughter was uncontrolled and near hysterical, she wiped away a tear.

"Sydney…" Nadia was concerned for her sister. "It's okay Nadia, I'm hurting, but I'm okay. After we find these people, I'm done. I'm going to walk away from all of this. No more lies, no more guns, wigs, horrible slutty outfits and aliases, boyfriends who turn out to be traitors. It needs to stop." Nadia nodded in understanding.

"They're still filtering through the computer files. The Rambaldi manuscript was a fake."

"Fake?"

"They think it was another trap, to lure you guys in." Sydney's spirits sunk to the lowest level.

"So all we have is a fake Rambaldi manuscript, Vaughn dead and no idea to who's responsible." She then remembered the words Vaughn had spoken.

"He said his father was alive."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Another update! I'm so glad that some of you leave reviews! It really motivates me to write a bit quicker and to update a little sooner. So I hope you enjoy this one. Please review after reading! **

Sark was sitting behind his desk at APO, he'd barely slept in the past two weeks. He was tired as hell, but the image of Sydney lying in the hospital bed downstairs prevented him from sleeping at night. He had wondered in the past weeks if the years of betrayal had finally taken their toll on her and if it would be fatal to her health. He had tried to appear less concerned than he felt, but he was doing a lousy job. After a week of checking up on her he finally had the courage to enter her room, it had been three in the morning. He had sat down in the chair next to her bed and held her hand. It was the first time in a week his body felt a little less restless and before he knew it he'd been asleep, only to be woken up by a very angry Mr. Bristow. Who'd promptly forbid him to enter that floor while Sydney was still there. He had obeyed the man without arguing. He knew Jack had no reason for trusting him, especially with Sydney. If it concerned Sydney, Jack was not a man to be played with. He'd once seen a tape of him murdering Simon Walker, after making suggestive remarks as to Sydney's behavior in bed. No, he wouldn't even try to argue with the man.

A sudden commotion seemed to be going on near the elevator. When he looked up his heart stopped. A very pale Sydney was being embraced by Weiss and her father had a hand on her shoulder. He stood up from his desk, not knowing whether walking in on their private moment was a good idea. Sydney noticed him, she made her way over to him.

He didn't know what to expect, maybe she was still angry for taking her away from Vaughn, even if had been for her own safety. Never in his mind would he have come up with the move she would make. She embraced him, so tight he couldn't breathe. Carefully he let his hands go to her back. She whispered in his ear.

"Promise me, you'll never betray me." He felt her tears in his neck and closed his eyes.

"I promise." Sark wished the moment would last forever, holding her so close, her being so vulnerable. Realizing they were still at APO he opened his eyes, the first thing they caught was the glare of Jack.

"Sydney." He spoke softly.

"I hate to let go of you, but your father looks like he's going to castrate me if I won't let go of you very soon." She let out a chuckle and let him go.

"Thank you." He slightly bit his lower lip.

"Sydney, I must say that after Russia I thought you would still be angry with me." Her expression became full of sadness.

"You were right to get me away from there. I would have been killed. You saved my life. And I was relieved to hear you didn't bail on us."

"Sydney, I already told you, I'm a man of my word. I promised you I wouldn't leave, I meant it."

Weiss walked up to them.

"What is this? You're awake for five minutes and already flirting with Sark. Maybe you should get back to bed." Sydney bit her lip trying not to laugh.

"What is it Weiss?" Weiss shook his shoulders.

"We have a briefing in five, oh and I arranged for some doughnuts. Thought you might want to eat something." Sydney wrinkled her forehead. "Do they have sprinkles?"

"All of them."

"Then I'm actually looking forward to the briefing." Sark raised an eyebrow.

"Your body just shut down by stress for two weeks and the first thing you decide to eat is the most disgusting unhealthy thing I can imagine." Sydney poked his shoulder.

"You should try them, they're absolutely delicious." Sark looked like he was going to be sick.

"I'd rather starve to death."

Jack stood up while the rest of them were seated down in the conference room. Sloane was still excluded from their party due to the involvement of Rambaldi.

"As you are now all aware the Rambaldi manuscript retrieved in Russia was a fake. While we're still processing the data taken from the compound, we've already learned the following." He clicked a remote and a picture appeared on the screens behind him.

"William Vaughn. Former CIA operative, presumed dead in October 1979. It was always thought he was murdered by Irina Derevko. Apparently this was not the case. According to Vaughn, his father is still alive. Some of the intel we retrieved contained photos that would match his appearance. Weiss and Nadia, I want you to pull up anything you can about his life and death. I want to know why, after almost three decades this man appears on our radar and what his involvement is in this organization. Sydney and Sark you will analyze the remaining data, see if you can find anything useful." Sydney's lips tightened into a thin line. She hated analyzing, sitting behind a desk, staring at a screen. The need to shoot something was growing every second. Maybe the shooting range would be a wonderful idea for her mood.

The fact that finding Vaughn's father was not her priority stung, but her father was right to put her behind a desk. It wouldn't be the best idea to put her out it the field, even if she felt she was ready. She glanced over to Sark, who appeared to pay more attention to her father's words than her. She had the urge to climb on his lap and lay her head across his shoulder, needing to feel safe again. She felt a smirk appear on her face, imagining her father's look. Sark caught her glare. It was like he knew what she'd been thinking and the left corner of his mouth slightly lifted. The first thing she had wanted after waking up was to know whether Sark still had been there, if he had left her too. When Nadia had told her he in fact was still there and had even been concerned about her, she had wanted to run upstairs and kiss the man. She now understood why Sark had been able to move on so soon after Alison's death. She had lost Vaughn long before Russia, even before Lauren's betrayal became evident. His betrayal, even if had been an unpleasant surprise had only awoken anger in her. That these people we're apparently able to turn even him, to lure them into an ambush again. She was motivated to stop them, now more than ever.

Sark and Sydney had set up their laptops in the conference room and had been going through the files. Most of it had been rubbish.

"I have a map here filled with video files." Sark glanced over to Sydney's screen.

"Is it surveillance footage?" Sydney opened one.

"Let's find out." In horror she watched the tape her laptop was playing. "Oh God, is that…?" Sark shivered and looked back to his own screen.

"I suggest you mute the sound." She clicked the file away.

"I'm not watching that." Her father entered the room, hearing her last words.

"What are you not watching?" Sydney gave him a guilty look.

"I think there is about a few hundred hours of porn in this folder." Her father didn't even flinch, his expression remained stoic.

"I suggest you turn down the volume." Sydney rolled her eyes.

"I think I might want to erase my memory after this again." Her father grabbed a file from the desk and left again.

"I would have thought years of missions in sex clubs would have prepared me for this, but it's really sickening." Sark sighed.

"It appears I also have one filled with the same sort of disgusting content. I'm glad we can skip through it though, it would be worse if we had to watch it completely." Sydney straightened her back.

"You're right, we're just doing this to catch the bastards." It would be a long evening.

Three hours later and Sydney lay fast asleep with her head on her folded arms. Sark was still going through the files, while glancing over Sydney's peaceful form. He was almost done with the porn folder, when he discovered a new folder between the video files.

"I hope those aren't even more extreme, I can't stand even more filthiness for today. " He murmured. The folder contained the double amount of video files.

"Bloody hell." He sighed and opened the first file. At the sight before him he jumped up and almost knocked over the whole table. Sydney was immediately awake. The startled look on his face worried her.

"Sark?" She asked. "She's alive, or at least she was." He checked the date on the file.

"Your father didn't kill her." Sydney rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and yawned.

"Who?" He grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Your mother!"


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: It's been forever since I updated! Although it's just a week I apologize profusely. I really wanted to update sooner, but the chapter I was working on nearly killed me. Because I used some things of the episode Search and Rescue I had rewatch and rewatch and had absolutely no idea how I was going to incorporate that into my scheme. So, I'm not particulary proud of this chapter. I just need two more chapters I think before I really can get things going. Hopefully you'll be pleased with it. Thanks for the kind reviews by the way! It really helps!**

In the last hour Sydney had been torn between guild and hope. Guild, because Nadia was going to find out Martin Bishop hadn´t killed their mother, the truth was going to come out and it wouldn´t be pretty. Hope, because chances were their mother was actually still alive. Sark had shown her a video of a man torturing her mother. It hadn't been just one video, there had been hours of tape, the dates had indicated that some of the torturing had been done before her father had supposedly killed her, but most of the dates were from after that date and quiet recent.

Sydney took her father aside in the hallway.

"Dad, do you think it's possible?" Her father's expression didn't reveal much, but she knew him well enough to see sadness in his eyes.

"I think it might be, and considering that the same group of people, who want Rambaldi's prophecy fulfilled was apparently torturing her, your mother most likely is in possession of some of the knowledge they need." Sydney shook her head.

"But dad, you killed her. You shot her…in the head." Her father nodded.

"I shot a woman I believed to be your mother, we're both aware of the doubling technique that exists."

"Project Helix."

"Yes, and Sydney I know you're afraid of getting false hope. I do however believe that the people who we got the intel from, were not counting on us taking those files. We need to verify if she is indeed alive and try to find her. Sark mentioned to me that your mother seemed to be aware of the prophecy long before anyone else was. There might be chance she knows who's responsible." He left Sydney standing there alone, feeling more lost than ever.

The conference room

We´ve identified the man torturing her as Lucian Nisard. A year ago he was on the ten most wanted list of the CIA, for crimes involving falsifying documents, espionage and conspiracy to commit manslaughter and murder. We have no idea who he´s working for, but we´ve tracked him to Ibiza. Sydney and Sark you will find him and see if he can lead us to Irina Derevko, if she indeed is still alive." Sark stood up.

"If I may, he's former Covenant. I never dealt with him personally, but I do know what he's into." Sydney raised an eyebrow. That couldn't be good.

**(Song: Static Revenger - I like that)**

Ibiza

Loud music was pumped through the speakers. Sydney was wearing a short white dress with stitching's on it. It barely covered her thighs and made her blend in just fine. She was holding Sark's hand, dragging him with her in her quick pace. He was dressed in white linen pants with a light blue shirt above it. It reminded her of their day on the beach.

On the plane, Sark had explained that Nisard was mainly into rough threesomes. It seems that the rougher it got, the better he liked it. Which made Sydney disgust the man even more, if that was even possible.

"I've spotted Nisard. He's at the bar." Sark shot her a playful smile.

"So how do you want to play this?"

"Should I be rough?"

"Darling, we both know you are rough. No need to hide it." His face was the image of innocence, but she knew better and instantly turned red.

"Well Mr. Sark, how would you know?" His smirk was wicked, it was clear he didn't feel the need to answer that question.

"Sark? How do you know?" Still no answer, except for his teasing expression.

"If the two of you are done, you have a mission to finish." Her father's voice made her focus again. She exhaled deeply.

"Apparently you have your own reputation. So we'll both be rough."

"With pleasure."

He kissed her passionately while still moving in the direction of the bar. Sydney had trouble making coherent thoughts, his hands were all over her and this was no dream. This was them making out, this was what she had been waiting for since the night in his study. It was even better than she'd imagined. Too bad they were on a mission and that perverted bastard Nisard was watching them. Sydney took matters in her own hands. She pushed Sark against the bar, kissing and biting his neck. Catching his breath he ordered vodka. He finished it in one take and made eye contact with Nisard, who had been licking his lips, watching them.

"We're just getting started." Sydney took an ice cube from Nisard's glass and let it slowly melt on the skin of her neck. Sark possessively wrapped an arm around her waist and took her to a nearby couch. He let Sydney straddle him, Nisard never took his eyes of them. Sark whispered in her ear.

"Too bad he's watching isn't it." Sydney swallowed.

"Shut up." Wondering why Sark had chosen this moment to discuss their attraction. Over Sark's shoulder she shot Nisard a seductive look and motioned him to approach.

"Are you going to watch all evening or do you want to join us?"

"Check the stalls."

"Beautiful and domineering, you must know I love you for that." Sydney wondered what had gotten into Sark.

"Will your boyfriend join us or does he just like to watch." Sark was done checking the stalls.

"I'm not into watching." He knocked the man's head against the wall. Sydney retrieved his PDA.

"All this trouble just to rob me? You could have just asked." Sydney touched her comm.

"Okay Marshall, up linking it now." Sark twisted the man's arm behind his back.

"We need some information. I believe you can tell us if Irina Derevko is still alive. And think about this, besides the fact that I know what you're into, I also know who you've betrayed." The man laughed.

"If you know what I'm into, you should be able to tell that this is only a treat." Sark shot Sydney an annoyed look.

"Fair enough, Sydney would you mind flushing this piece of shit down the toilet?" Sydney grabbed Nisard and stuck his head in the toilet.

"Why didn't you want to do this again?" She asked while holding Nisard's face down.

"I don't want to ruin my clothes, love." Sydney rolled her eyes and let Nisard take a breath before pushing him under again.

"Sark what have you been drinking?" Sark hiccupped.

"I may have had an entire bottle of vodka on the plane." Marshall's voice sounded through her comm.

"Okay Syd, there's a mentioning of project Helix in his files." Sydney held Nisard up, coughing and spluttering he yelled that he would talk.

"We know about project Helix! Was Irina Derevko doubled?" Sydney made another attempt to let him down under.

"Stop! Yes she was doubled, a follower agreed to do it."

"Somebody volunteered to be murdered?" Nisard laughed. "Yes, you have no idea what we are prepared to do to let Rambaldi's work come to pass." Sydney shook him.

"Is Irina still alive?!"

"Off course she is." Sydney let the man fall to the floor, her under lip started to tremble, her mother was indeed still alive.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: I've dreaded writing this chapter and at the same time was really looking forward to it. I hated writing the stuff that actually happened in the episode Search and Rescue, and loved writing sweet Sarkney moments. So it's a little longer, enjoy and please review!**

Sark sat alone on the jet. Sydney came from the cabin and sat across from him.

"So you want to tell me what that was all about." His fiery blue eyes seemed to go right through her.

"Sydney, you might not like what I have to tell you, but tell you I must. For if this continues any longer we both might get killed." Sydney avoided his gaze.

"Ever since that moment in my study, both of us have been wondering whether or not that would have been right. Tonight it was just a mission." He paused for a second.

"Only you and I both know, it's not that simple." He took her hand. "Sydney look at me!" Her eyes were full of tears when they met his.

"Do you have anything to say to that?" She shook her head.

"No." The unbelief in his eyes grew. "Nothing to say." She whispered as she cupped his face with her hands. She softly kissed him and pushed him gently back in the seat. She sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder. He instantly relaxed, he knew she had a lot on her plate right now. But she hadn't pushed him away.

Jack's office

"You wanted to see me?" Nadia asked standing in the doorway.

"Yes. I'm aware you're studying the Martin Bishop file." Nadia nodded.

"Since the CIA thinks she was responsible for her death they must have missed something." Jack sighed, knowing this was not going to be easy for her.

"Nadia, Martin Bishop didn't kill Irina. I did. It had come to my attention that a hit had been placed on Sydney's live. Tamazaki was the one to execute it. My only means of stopping it was to kill the one who placed it. Which was your mother. The videos indicate that she was by that time already in captivity and therefore couldn't have placed the hit. I was misled. Nisard confessed to Sydney that a follower of Rambaldi volunteered to be killed in Irina's place, so everyone would think her to be dead." Nadia was stunned.

"You could have told me."

"Yes."

"You should have told me. I could have handled it." Jack nodded.

"I know that now and I'm sorry." Nadia folded her arms across her chest.

"What else did Nisard tell Sydney."

"Irina was recently relocated to Guatemala. We're meeting Sydney and Sark on sight. Our plane leaves in an hour."

Tikal in Guatamala

The river will take you a hundred meters into the perimeter. Jack showed them the map of the camp on his laptop.

"How exactly do we find her?" Nadia asked.

"You see these cold spots? All of them are carrying automatic weapons, except for this one."

"Mom" Sydney added.

"Yes. It seems she's being held in the northeast quadrant of the camp. Once you retrieve her we'll be waiting two miles down the river. You should get going, by the time you'll reach the camp it will be dark. Sark and I will be here monitoring the site by satellite." Sydney shot Sark a look.

"Shouldn't he go with us?"

"No." Her father's answer was final and not to be debated. They left, leaving Jack and Sark behind. Sydney wondered how they would spend their hours together.

"This is Phoenix, we've reached the perimeter."

"Copy that Phoenix, proceed."

"Moving in."

"Up ahead, there should be a small entry to your left." Sydney and Nadia carefully snuck around the bushes.

"No movement from the guards. You can continue."

"We're here, this should be it." Sydney looked around, there was nothing but jungle.

"She's not here."

"Phoenix, you're standing right next to her." Jack sounded slightly annoyed.

"There's nobody here, this can't be it." Nadia's feet hit something metal.

"Shhh." Nadia shone her flashlight on the ground. Under the banana plant leaves and dirt they discovered a hatch. Sydney broke the lock, together they opened it. Nadia's beam fell on a figure sitting huddled on the stairs. Startled the figure looked up, Irina's scared face became visible. Softly she spoke the same words she had spoken the last time.

"Mom?"

"Mom? Mom, I'm here." Irina still looked like she was seeing a ghost. Confused she asked; "Sydney?" Sydney felt emotion overwhelm her. She took out her blade to cut the ropes that kept her wrists together.

"Mom, you're going to be okay."

"Sydney." It sounded more like a statement this time. Sydney tried to crack a smile for her. Irina's eyes became filled with tears.

"I knew you'd come."

Nadia helped her mother and Sydney get out of the hole. While supporting Irina they tried to sneak out the camp. They accidently hit a trip wire and alerted the guards.

"Run!" Sydney and Nadia did the best they could, dragging Irina with them, until suddenly Sydney was caught in a trap.

"They're coming, hurry!" Irina turned to Nadia.

"Give me your knife." Nadia handed it to her.

"I'll fend off the guards!" When Nadia returned Sydney was loose.

"They're right behind us!" She yelled and tossed Sydney an machine gun. As Sydney shot as many guards as she could Nadia retrieved a hand grenade from the boat and threw it at a jeep. It exploded as they sped away with the boat.

Jack heard some stirring in the bushes and raised his gun.

"Dad." Sydney held her hand up, she watched as her mother approached her father. Jack lowered his gun.

"Irina." She slapped him across the face, then hugged him tightly. Sydney saw her father's hands awkwardly reach for her back. Sydney became aware someone was standing behind her and felt Sark's hand land on her shoulder.

"How is she?" Irina turned at the sound of his voice, her surprise was evident.

"Julian?!"

Jack spoke. "We should go, there will be plenty of time to discuss things later."

Sydney still couldn't believe it, her mother was alive and seated across her on the plane. She saw her rubbing her wrists were the cuffs had been.

"Mom, what happened to you?" In part she knew the answer.

"I found out my sister Elena was the person running The Covenant. I was meeting a contact for information when I was captured. A very long time ago I came across a manuscript of Rambaldi. It contained a prophecy about you. I destroyed it. Elena had become aware of this and wanted to know what was in the prophecy. She kept me in darkness. I don't know…where…or for how long. I had barely enough food and water. There came a time I didn't know whether I was alive or dead. She would release me only for…questioning. Yelena was always volatile, quick tempered. I'd expected her to get angry and kill me. But she had learned patience. Eventually I was moved to a medical facility. I was given something that made me go into cardiac arrest, Elena would than stabilize my heartbeat and repeat the process…" Irina's eyes became wet.

"She did this…countless and countless times." Sydney saw her mother bite her lip.

"I gave up, I told her everything. Sydney I'm so sorry." She embraced her mother.

"It's okay mom, it's okay." Her mother apologized and asked if there was anywhere she could change. Sydney pointed her into the direction of the bathroom. Nadia stood up and handed Irina a bag.

"Here. I brought you these." Irina took it.

"Thank you."

"It's just some clothes." Nadia's voice had been soft, but Irina stood still, turned and looked at her with open mouth.

"It's you." Nadia nodded. Irina caressed her cheeks and then finally took in her arms the daughter she had been searching for all these years "Oh sweetheart."

"Mom."

Jack sighed, Irina was sitting across from him. She could still make him feel nervous.

"Irina, I was able to strike a deal with director Chase. She was willing to grant the person that helped capture or kill the head of the former Covenant,… a pardon. At least for past crimes." Irina nodded.

"Very clever." She tugged a strand of hair behind her ear. "Jack, I will tell you everything. But I need to speak with Sark first. Jack frowned.

"I don't think that's a good idea. However I will allow you to." Irina smiled.

"What is it going to cost me?" Jack returned a smile.

"You're going to tell me exactly what you did to Sydney when she was 17."

As soon as she entered he felt her presence.

"Are you here to question me about my alliance to the CIA?" He eyed her with suspicion. He admired her skills, she had taken him under her wing when he had felt lost and had nowhere to go. But she had made him into the man he was, which he dreaded sometimes.

"I thought I told you never to pursue her. I thought I made it very clear." He felt anger bubble up, but kept his exterior calm.

"Perhaps you shouldn't have been so cruel as to make sure that the one thing I loved would never return to me." Irina sat down on the desk.

"It was for both of your sakes." He pushed back his chair and faced her directly.

"You knew."

"Yes."

"And the order?"

"What about it?" Sark felt the need to get away from her.

"Was it real? Or was all of it just a test?" He stood up and paced about the room.

"Were you ever going to tell her?" Irina remained silent.

"I loved her, and you made me hate her and you." His voice grew louder.

"I love you like a son Julian."

"Your actions would indicate otherwise." She tilted her head a little.

"Tell me. What was your plan? To work with the CIA, to get her to trust you and eventually tell her? Hoping she would believe you?" He bit his lip and clenched his jaw.

"I thought I taught you better than to have weaknesses."

"You needed me, because I was part of the prophecy, you knew about it back then. You brought us together, and for the same reason you torn us apart. Keeping me married to her. Do you realize what would have happened if she had married Danny, or Vaughn for that matter. It would have been found out." He paused, hoping for a reaction.

He tried to keep his emotions in check, but when it came to Sydney he felt 17 again and unable to keep up the mask that covered his feelings. Irina seemed to study him, she always took her time, never losing her calm.

"You both were young, I expected you to fall for her. I needed you to, only that way I could teach how much emotions affect people, affect you. And how much this life can cost." He looked at her with disgust.

"And you couldn't have possibly used any other way?" She looked at him intensely. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to kill every single person who tries to hurt her in making that prophecy come to true."

"And then what? Because if you stay, that prophecy will come true."

"Bloody hell Irina, I don't care about that prophecy. I do however care for Sydney. I'm done running around, getting you artifacts and manuscripts, because of you I let hate consume me for so long. No more." With that he walked out of the conference room. Leaving Irina behind

Jack looked at his laptop. He had watched the entire scene from his office. He saw Irina look directly into the camera. She had been right. The boy wouldn't give up his quest for Sydney so easily. It seemed that Sark's intensions were better than he'd expected.

**(Song: A girl, a boy and a graveyard - Jeremy Messersmith)**

He rushed through the office, entered the elevator just before it closed. He was the only person it. He exhaled deeply and buried his face in his palms. Irina always did like to mess things up. He leaned against the cold steel wall, a noise made him aware he'd reached another floor, he realized he'd forgotten to press a button. Sydney stepped into the elevator.

"Sark." Hearing her say his name, he realized how much his missed her calling him Julian.

"Sydney." He sounded tired. She looked at him, trying to determine what was going on. Her soft fingers slipped between his, reassuring him in more ways than she knew. He wanted to break down so bad, tell her everything and make her his once more. Her voice filled his ears.

"I know I didn't want to say anything before, but I didn't know how to tell you that every moment I'm with you I'm thinking about those lips of yours. How bad I want to let my fingers run through those curls. How I can't even begin to understand why you would care so much for me. How much I hate Rambaldi for complicating everything so much. Right now this would be the stupidest thing to do, but I keep thinking 'to hell with it'."

He could barely believe his ears. She wasn't crying, she was utterly serious.

"Because,…I think I'm kind of in love with you,…Julian." She took his other hand, slowly she closing the distance between them, never taking her eyes off him. Her soft lips brushed against his and he wondered how he could have ever lived without them. Why he fooled himself all these years telling himself he hated her. He'd never stopped loving her.

She looked up and saw his eyes were full of tears. Even though she was unaware what was going on in his mind she still felt the need to comfort him, understanding that his emotion was caused by her.

"I just can't help it, I need you." She carefully placed light kisses all over his face, wishing she could take away the pain she saw in his eyes.

"Not as much as I need you." He kissed her passionately, stroking her hair, wrapping her around him. His tears kept coming, he had wanted her for so long, needed her so bad. And now she was finally his again.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: New chapter, finally! I read all sorts of fics just to improve my vocabulary. I hate repeating words and sometimes it is hard to think of synonyms in a different language. I really hope you have patience with me! I love writing Sarkney moments, but for the plot to evolve and to get to a place where more sweet moments can occur I first have to deal with the whole mission part. I hope I'm still suprising you guys with some plots, even though some of them are kind of predictable. Well, let me know what you think and leave a review!**

Irina was back in his office and sat down next to him.

"How's your jaw?"

"I've been through worse." He commented, wondering where she was going.

"Jack, I understand why you believed you had to kill me." She swept some of her long hair behind her shoulder.

"But the truth is, if the situation had been reversed, I would've found another way." Jack sought for the right words.

"I can't imagine this will give you any comfort, considering what you've been through." He paused.

"The truth is, there wasn't a day that went by I didn't regret what I did." Irina gave him a reassuring smile, she would always be able to charm him. No matter how much they'd been through. Part of him kept seeing her as Laura, his disarming wife. He felt his lips curl up.

"You're going to enjoy getting to know Nadia, she's exceptional."

"I wonder who she got that from." Irina said with a teasing smile. Jack looked at her in question.

"It seems our daughters are very much alike."

"Our daughters?" Irina raised an eyebrow. "Well, of course. Who else's could she be?" Her confusion was genuine, but Jack's expression turned rather stoic.

"Irina, I know about your affair with Sloane." Irina shook her head.

"I never had an affair with Sloane. Who told you that?" Jack tightened his jaw and clenched his fists.

"That son of a bitch!" Irina carefully observed her husband.

"He played you, didn't he?"

"I should have known. The only reason I believed he changed was because of Nadia. He must have known she wasn't his from the beginning. He's been planning this for a long time."

"Could he have teamed up with Elena?" Jack nodded.

"He was the one to make Sydney Sark's handler, he was the one to send them on that mission in Amsterdam. He wasn't concerned for a second when Sydney decided to stay with Sark. And he's been gone for four weeks. More than enough time to plan his next move. Because of the Rambaldi involvement he isn't allowed to join our operations momentarily. I failed to check up on things he does when he's not here."

A long silence fell, Irina seemed deep in thought while Jack tried to control his anger.

"Does he know you've rescued me?"

"No, I didn't feel the need to inform him."

"So he doesn't know I'm here, and if he's been gone for four weeks he doesn't know about Sark's affection for Sydney." Jack raised his head.

"No, not as far as I know. What are you suggesting?" Irina narrowed her forehead.

"If we act quick, we might be able to use this to our advantage. If we let Sark contact Elena, proposing to go along with their plan. He might have a chance to get close to Elena. All we need then is a sniper and this can all be over relatively fast."

"Agreed, let's get to it."

Everyone was gathered in the conference room. Sydney had trouble keeping her eyes off Sark, she could tell he was experiencing the same problem. Her father had mentioned her mother and him and come up with a plan to set a trap for Elena.

"The plan is as follows. Sark will try to make contact through his old Covenant contacts. When they respond he will most likely meet the person in front of Elena, her second man. When that happens we make sure that Sydney and you are on a simple mission. You tell the second man that you know that Elena was the head of the former Covenant. He or she will most likely ask how you came by this information. You will inform them that Irina Derevko has contacted you to stay away from Sydney and told you who's the one in charge. This way we don't reveal that we have Irina here. You agree to go along with their plan and hand them Sydney in exchange for a certain price. Your 800 million plus interest."

"Seems reasonable." Sark commented.

"More importantly, believable. I'll let Marshall prepare the optech. There is however something else we need to discuss." Jack exchanged a look with Irina, who turned her attention to Nadia.

"Nadia, Sloane is not your father. I never had an affair with Sloane. Which means Jack is your father and Sydney is your full sister." Silence followed as everyone took in the news.

"How is that even possible, we look nothing alike!"

"Well, your grandmother came from Argentina and your grandfather was a Russian. I look like my father, Elena is a copy of my mother and Katya somewhere in between." Irina offered.

Sydney was still recovering from the shock, but realized immediately what it meant.

"Sloane lied to us. He must have known, all this time. I should have seen that coming." Sark joined in.

"Besides Sloane being evil again, does this mean he teamed up with Elena?"

Jack responded. "Most likely, yes."

"May I ask how you plan to make the exchange with Sydney without giving them Sydney?"

"We are going to give them Sydney, chances are that Elena will come to see her."

"Did we mention before that there is a Rambaldi potion that makes Sydney jump me? Because it's rather hard fighting her off if she's under the influence of that potion. Not to mention that she has no recollection of that time at all!"

"If she would be injected with an antidote she could fake it, Elena is most likely to turn up at that moment. Sydney will have a good chance of killing her."

"Do you even know what is in that potion, not to mention how to counteract it?"

"No, but Irina does. Marshall will create an antidote to the ingredients she will give him. This is our only shot to lure Sloane as well as Elena in a trap."

"I wouldn't have thought you to be a man to risk his daughters life so directly." Sark's tone was ice cold.

Sydney intervened before her father could reply.

"It's all right, it's my choice to go or not. I'm going, I'm ready to end this now. If Sloane and Elena have been planning this for years we might not get another chance like this. Although instead of just killing them I suggest we also blow up the building, and bury any evidence of that prophecy."

"If you're taken to their headquarters that would be an appropriate precaution." Sydney noticed Nadia leaving the conference room.

"Excuse me." She stood up and went after her. She knew how Nadia must feel. Betrayed, for the umpteenth time. Family bands you didn't even know were there and everyone else acting like it wasn't a big deal. She found Nadia in an empty corridor, sitting against a wall, crying.

Sydney wrapped an arm around her, letting Nadia's head rest on her shoulder.

"He used me." She whispered through her tears.

"I know, Nadia I'm so sorry. But I'm also relieved, because he can't use you anymore. It's up to us to stop him." Nadia lifted her head.

"Do you believe he ever cared for me?" Sydney hesitated for second.

"When I first started working at SD-6 he already knew who I was. I even stayed with him and his wife when my father was in prison after mom faked her dead. He presented himself as a father figure to me, I didn't have such a band with my father at the time, I was happy to have someone like him in my life. But when he had my fiancé killed I realized that he loved me to a certain degree, as far as his capability for love lies. That it ended the moment I got in his way. My dad told me once that he thought Sloane was always jealous of my dad and that it was the reason he recruited me into SD-6. I believe he really did wish you were his. Even if he used you for one of his goals." Nadia wiped away her last tear.

"Well at least now I know who my real parents are, and I have you." Sydney hugged her sister. Glad that the sociopath had no control over her anymore. Maybe someday her family would be little bit more normal.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Short little update, but hopefully the next will be a lot longer. I just wanted to give you guys an update. I just kind of realized there's another thing I wanted tell you. The reason I have chosen to let Sark live in my own country was for very selfish reasons. In 4x18 I think it is they have a mission in The Netherlands. I pretty much rolled off the couch, I was laughing that hard. The first scene starts at the UVA which is one of the two universities in Amsterdam. Even though I'm a student at the other university I was embarrassed for people to think Dutch people are that bad at English. Because seriously...we have three levels of education here and university is the top. Almost all the master classes are in English, and from day one all my textbooks have been in English. Also hearing Jennifer Garner say: "Het is grappig" is the funniest pronunciation I've ever heard. So now that you know that, read and enjoy! Next chapter will be a little more fluffy...hopefully. **

Sark rushed through the office, motioning Sydney to come with him. He stopped in Jack's office, where he found Irina sitting rather provocatively on the desk and Jack, who went from a warm smile to a his standard glare.

"What is it Sark?" Sark succeeded in keeping his remarks to himself and simply said.

"My contact protocol was answered. I just got a call."

"From who?"

"Mckenas Cole." That sparked Irina's interest. "He works for Elena?"

"I assume so, he called himself the man in front of the head of The Covenant."

"I thought he was killed when I sent him to SD-6 to…" Sydney interrupted her. "He wasn't killed, I knocked him unconscious and he was taken by the CIA and kept in Brunswick, a National Security Interrogation Facility. We still don't know how he got out."

"Well he's been busy since. He wants to meet."

"Where?"

"I told him when a mission came up I would find a way to ditch Sydney and meet him."

Irina spoke slowly. "I just found out an old contact of mine came in possession of some Rambaldi papers. He has no idea what the worth of those papers are. Most likely he won't put much effort in protecting them. If Jack were to send you on a mission to retrieve those it would definitely be believable." Sydney looked a little worried.

"What kind of papers?" Irina shrugged. "I have no idea, but I knew he were to receive them through inheritance, so I kept an eye on him."

Sark meanwhile had noticed Jack had a lot of trouble keeping his eyes of Irina and saw his eyes wonder more than once. That man was to easily fooled and he wondered if Irina would succeed in breaking his heart another time and decided there was no doubt about it. Jack suddenly took out his cellphone.

"I will make a call to Sloane, tell him there is more Rambaldi related stuff going on and he is to stay away." Irina nodded.

"If Cole asks Sloane about it, he will confirm." Sark folded his arms.

"Where are we going?" Irina gave him a big smile.

"Paris."

For the first time since the elevator they were alone. As soon as the jet had reached altitude Sydney stopped pretending to read her mission specs and immediately straddled Sark. They hadn't had a single moment to themselves and even with all these distractions going on she hadn't been able to get him out her of her mind. Their moment had been short, lasted only till the noise of the elevator made them painfully aware that they'd reached reality once again and even if feelings were shared there was too much to be sorted out just yet. She had longed for him for too long, her body had been betraying her, overriding her mind and leaving all her objections behind. She let her fingers trail over his cheek while staring into his eyes. He seemed startled, at first, but when she felt his hands go up her back she smirked and decided she wanted him right here and now. She'd been fantasizing for the last two days and her sleep deprivation didn't help her either.

Sark saw her wicked smile and knew if he didn't act quick he wouldn't be able to resist. He lifted her and put her down on the seat opposite of them. Her confusion was clear as he sat down on his knees in front of her.

"Sydney, you have no idea how much I'm in love with you. Or for how long, for the same amount of time I have desired to have you. Only if we start now we might risk fulfilling the same prophecy we're trying to forget even exists. So as much as I want to give in to your temptation, it's a bad idea. You know that."

He read the disappointment of her face and kissed her palms.

"Please don't feel rejected, because I'm not rejecting you. I'm being careful with you." A small curling of her lips.

"You do realize that all female CIA field agents are required to have a device implanted as a means of birth control. I can't become pregnant that easy, besides I'm not even sure I ever could."

He realized she referred to her eggs being taken. He remembered Patagonia all too well and closed his eyes at the memory of it.

"I'm so sorry." Sydney freed her hands and began stroking his cheek.

"Don't be." Sark realized their conversation would only continue to become more painful if he didn't change course.

"Sydney…I can't possibly begin to consume this…relationship, knowing all too well it could end in such misery." He paused and his eyes met hers, beautiful brown eyes, filled with sadness and pain.

"No, I've done awful things in my life, but I'm trying to make sure this time you won't get hurt. You've been hurt more than enough for a lifetime."

Sydney searched his eyes and found nothing but sincerity. She leaned over to embrace him, holding as close as she could. Tears started to flow from the corner of her eyes. After all the heartache he was healing her. Sark shut his eyes at her touch. He was tempted, but he knew if he gave in now he would lose his focus completely. A man was at his weakest after dinner and she was going to be dessert, a dessert which he intended to fully enjoy. He would just have to wait a little longer, he'd waited for more than a decade, she was his end goal and more than worthy of his patience.

When they'd settled back in their chairs Sark reopened his mission files and for the first time actually started reading. He gasped when his eyes came across a certain name.

"That…" He held his tongue, but it got Sydney's attention.

"What?"

"If we return to the States, I going to have to kill your mother." Sydney looked confused.

"Why?" He bit his lip and grinned.

"She's unbelievable." He threw the folder on the chair next to him.

"The Rambaldi papers that we're stealing?"

"Yeah…?"

"The person who owns them is notorious for his parties."

"So…?"

"They always involve 18th century costumes, masks and…"

"Julian?"

"They're pretty much orgies…"

"Oh…"

"Yeah…"

"I'll help you get rid of the body…"

"I really appreciate it." Sydney pressed her lips together in amusement. Her mother was evil, she would have known about their host's….preferences. She wondered if her mother was tempting Sark. She skipped through the pages of her file to photo of her disguise. A dress with so much cleavage she would need tape to make sure nothing would fall out and along with it went a corset and high heels. She swallowed, even if Sark had just made a statement about holding her off until everything would be settled he was still a man and this could be very hard on him. She brought her fingers to her mouth and suppressed a giggle. Hopefully not too literal.

Their flight was long, Sydney had dozed off after reading the file. When she awoke she found Sark staring at her. He looked peacefully, but very tired.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked.

"No." He simply stated. Sydney yawned and stretched her arms out. "How long before we land?"

"Maybe half an hour." He started playing with the ring he wore on his left index finger.

"You know, we have almost the entire afternoon before we have to get ready for the party."

"What are you suggesting?" A smirk appeared on his face. "Well." He cleared his throat.

"I did promise you some time ago to get you decent clothes." He saw her eyes lighten up with a sparkle.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Finished writing about 6000 words and decided to divide it into multiple chapters so I will be able to update on thursday again without much effort. I'm still in doubt how many chapters it will take me to get to the ending. Because the ending is written and done, only thing left is the gap between there and where we are now. **

**In this chapter I'm using a district in Paris, Montmartre as background. I'll upload a new pinboard on the Pinterest page today so you'll have that to accompany it. It's a really nice part of Paris. **

**Please leave a review after you're done reading. It's really nice to know whether anyone likes it. **

**(Song: Weezer – You might think)**

So you never actually had the chance to see some of the city before?" Sydney shook her head.

"No not really, maybe just a little on missions, and on an occasion where I was undercover. Never just for fun."

He felt his heartbeat race at the adorable look on her face. When she wasn't all business she had this happy look of a girl who had never completely lost her innocence. He loved it about her, that she was so strong, she never had let the darkness fully consume her. Some of the Sydney he'd once known was still there, it gave him hope.

"It will be my delight to show you around." Sydney could feel herself almost melting at the brightening smile he flashed.

Sark took her to several boutiques, high end, but no familiar designer names. He let her pick out only dresses, arguing they suited her better than cargo pants and a spaghetti tank top. She'd rolled her eyes but didn't object. She was used to being practical, Sark made her girly side come back out, when she had thought it had died quite some time ago.

Sark had made himself comfortable on a sofa facing the dressing room. The first time she came out he had to suppress a snort. Sydney looked annoyed as hell. A purple dress the saleswoman had brought her hung half from her shoulder, a balloon neck she kept trying to adjust . It did not look comfortable and purple was definitely not her color. She drew the fabric of the neck over her head and stomped back to the dressing room. Leaving a chuckling Sark. A sexy black dress with some silver zippers in all the right places made him sit upright and gasp at the same time. Sydney had stood there in a seductive pose, smirking.

"Woman, you'll be the end of me. But we're definitely buying that dress." She tilted her head slightly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"What makes you think I'll wear it for you."

"How about if you ever want something of me, I'm sure you wearing that dress will make me very obliging." His eyes followed her legs as she returned to the dressing room. He swallowed hard. Yes, it would make him very obliging.

Under slight protest of Sydney, he bought her four dresses and a pair of black stiletto's. He was hoping she would wear them just for him.

She'd been surprised when he took her to a small bistro in Montmartre, Le basilic. Expecting him to take her to some incredibly fancy and expensive restaurant. He saw her wondering and replied without her having asked.

"It's not your style, and to be honest neither is it mine." Sark was pleasant company, very good at reading her and amusing her with stories about missions gone wrong. It surprised her how easily he could make her relax and open up. She told him about the hard time she had after her mother had 'died'. He filled her sentences when she hesitated, knowing exactly which words were missing. He understood her need to be normal, to have things regular people would do. They discussed all of the other people in the restaurant, trying to determine what they were up to and what sort of life they led. Time flew by and Sydney was sad for their little excursion to end and return to their mission. She felt butterflies in her stomach. The twinkle in his eyes made her a little bit nervous, like she was seventeen again and…and what? The memory went nowhere, she hadn't even kissed a boy by that time, being socially awkward as she was back then. Nor had she felt very strong about any boy in particular, except maybe for a short while for her science partner.

Sark noticed something was off and asked her about it.

"It's nothing really, just some strange feeling. I can't seem to place." Now that she'd acknowledged her feelings for Sark and aware they weren't just a byproduct of her dreams, she had dismissed her dreams as mere fantasy. Her subconscious had been way ahead of her in knowing how she had felt. It made her feel silly, but she was glad she was so much at ease with him now.

She could definitely get used to this.

"You know we really should get back and prepare for a night full of unpleasantries."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

"We could always make bingo cards of all the nauseating stuff we expect to see." She snorted and felt lucky he was her partner on this op, only he would be able to lighten up her spirit with such a mission like this.

When they walked back to their hotel Sydney took his hand in hers and swayed him around, she kissed him fully and deeply. He looked like a child on Christmas morning.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"For everything." He hugged her, felt her relaxing in his arms and hoped they would have a future. He promised himself right there and then he would do everything in his power to end this as soon as possible.

5 Hours later

Sark was fidgeting with the ring around his finger. He hated tell signs, avoided everything that could tell people anything about his emotions when in the field. It suited his alias well, but his evening had been not as easy as he'd hoped. He drew in a large breath and slowly let it leave his lungs, he could not under any circumstance let Cole notice any of it. The man was scary enough already. His mind wondered back to the moment he'd seen Sydney lose her coat and reveal a dress that made his mind go wild instantly and forget every detail he had remembered about his mission. The moans from the people surrounding them, a place filled with filth and a passion so rough he felt disgusted being there with her. Even in her alias she hadn't looked comfortable. He wondered if she'd seen the lust in his eyes than, she hadn't spoken, just lead him to the backroom. Eager to finish their mission, to get out of the house that made his predilections with Lauren seem like amateur teenager sex. He had tried to avert his eyes from Sydney's bosom. It seemed pointless though, everywhere they looked there was lust and sin.

"You know if you keep staring like that, we'll never get that manuscript." His stare kept being fixated on the two soft roundings that almost popped out of her dresses.

"I don't think I would care if we didn't." He'd stammered. She laughed, gave him a quick kiss and dragged him along.

"I need you to at least try and use your brain, can you manage that?"

"Probably not…" They easily gained access to a storage room. The walls had several lockers.

"Locker…" Sydney searched the numbers to find the right one. "47! Got it." All it took were simple lock picking tools. In less than 10 seconds she had it open.

"I wish all of the bad guys had this amount of security. It would make my job so much easier."

"And so much more boring. You probably couldn't live a month without the thrill and adrenaline our work serves us. It's addictive, and we're both hooked." Sydney removed the Rambaldi manuscript.

"You don't think I could ever quit this life?" She strapped the manuscript to her right thigh, exposing most of her skin while resting her leg on a chair. It distracted him for a moment and he forgot to answer.

"Julian?"

"What?" They heard the click of the door handle and before Sark had time to react Sydney's lips were on his, plunging her tongue in his mouth. He immediately gave in, barely aware of the guards that had entered. Letting his hands roam over her bare back. "Que faites-vous ici?! Ces domaines sont accessibles uniquement au personnel!" Sydney pulled back, seemingly embarrassed.

"Mes excuses, nous allons revenir à la salle principale."

Dragging him with her, they had left the party without encountering any further problems. Still Sark was standing here very much aroused, trying to get the image of Sydney's thighs out of his head. Or the kiss, for that matter. Cole's annoying voice brought him back to his senses.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: The meeting with Cole! I loved writing this, I kinda liked his character, because he's so creepy. Anyways, enjoy!**

_Previously:_

_Dragging him with her, they had left the party without encountering any further problems. Still Sark was standing here very much aroused, trying to get the image of Sydney's thighs out of his head. Or the kiss, for that matter. Cole's annoying voice brought him back to his senses. _

"You know, I was really into Pigtails, really stubborn, pretty and smart. What more could a man want. All innocent on the outside, but a tigress in bed." The pervert set a few steps in Sark's direction, he already could smell the sickening cologne.

"You want to know, how I know? I know you do. Pretty great story! You see we had Pigtails working for us for some time, and we had her under surveillance most of the time,…Anyhow we send Simon, well you know Simon. To work with Pigtails." The man let out a chuckle that made Sark disgust the man even further.

"He taped the whole thing for us, still got the tape in my private collection. But you have no need for that tape, Goldilocks. You will soon find out for yourself. Well perhaps you need a little certain potion to get her started on all those deliciously filthy things."

Cole presented a bottle of champagne. "How about we toast to that, huh?"

He was about to pop open the bottle when the bullet his kneecaps. Sark didn't even flinch when he took the shot.

"Really, Cole?" The man screamed out in pain.

"Ah you son of a bitch!" He reached for a gun behind his waistband. Bad move. Sark shook his head and rolled his eyes. The man was too predictable and stupid for his own good. He shot both arms, which made Cole cry out even louder.

Sark knocked him out with a blow to his temple and took his gun. He would bleed out in less than half an hour. He got up and walked about the room.

"Arvin." He called out. "Come out, come out wherever you are. I'm sick of playing."

He tugged his hands casually behind his back, holding both guns, ready to fire.

An image of Sloane was projected on a wall.

"Ah, Julian. I wasn't aware you knew of my involvement." Sark leaned against a pillar.

"Yes, you were. Please spare me any arguments suggesting otherwise, insulting both of us." The sociopathic smile that crept up Sloane's face was revolting.

"I am curious how you came by this information." Sark appeared unimpressed, but in reality he hoped to encounter the man soon to slit his throat, after removing some of his digits perhaps.

"Why do you think I joined APO? You always have an agenda, especially concerning Rambaldi. It was rather pathetic none of your CIA minions were smart enough to pick up on it. You never cease to amaze me with your gift of deception. Though I was rather disappointed at first when your plan didn't surface. You're aware how easily I get bored and getting under Ms. Bristow's skin wasn't hardly the challenge I had hoped for. Then it dawned on me that you're a man of long-term goals and the most likely scenario was that you were behind the whole scheme."

"It's interesting really, I've wondered very often how people could be so blind. But the truth is, they want to believe someone like me can be and has changed. Therefore they do."

Sloane folded his hands in front of him. "Now Julian, you have a purpose for being here. So tell me." Sark slightly shifted his feet.

"Yes, a proposition really. I thought I'd make this rather easy. I'll give you what you want, in exchange for my 800 million inheritance The Covenant has borrowed, plus interest of course." He tried to sound as less caring as he could. Sloane let out a chuckle that made him shiver.

"Is that really all you want? Your money?" Sark lifted an eyebrow on purpose.

"Yes, most certainly. Now if I understand the prophecy correctly this should only be done naturally. Therefore you need me. The thing is, after Sydney has given birth you most likely have no need for me. I simply wish to ensure my fortune and my safety, that shouldn't be incomprehensible."

Sloane narrowed his eyes. "Done." He said.

"But only after you've handed over Sydney, with child." Sark raised his head a little.

"And what if the pregnancy doesn't go as planned?" Sloane was back to smiling again.

"Oh it will, but in any such case we will require you to set that right." Sark swallowed. The thought of Sydney as Sloane's prisoner made him sick to his stomach. He was going to make sure that wouldn't become a reality.

Sydney couldn't bring her mind to fall asleep, the thought of Sark meeting with Cole tortured her, hoping he would return safely. She let out a soft chuckle, it was ridiculous really, Sark could never be killed. He was too damn smart for that, how many times had she tried to apprehend him or shoot him. Every single time he had gotten away, only in Hotel Verlustheit had she been able to knock him down. The thought that he had wanted her to catch up with him crossed her mind. She shook her head as to get rid of the thought, it was silly. Sark had been her enemy at that time, and she had been hers. The soft noise of a keycard unlocking her door made her sit up and reach for the gun under her pillow.

"Sydney?" He spoke in a whisper.

"Julian?" She spoke softly, without knowing why she did so. It took him just three steps to reach her bed, only a second to close his arms around her and almost suffocate her with his embrace. He showered soft kisses all over her cheeks and when his lips finally met hers she realized he was putting all of his emotion in their kiss, she instinctively pulled away feeling something was wrong.

Her eyes were asking him questions, questions he didn't want to answer.

"Sydney, will you please get your stuff and leave with me. Right now, just pack your bags and go with me to my home?" It was scary seeing him so vulnerable, almost pleading her to come with him. She slightly nodded.

"Yes." He pulled her back in his embrace.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight anytime soon." She stroked his hair.

"It went that bad, huh?" He realized he had been holding his breath and let go of a long sigh.

"It did manage to kill Cole, I talked to Sloane, but he wasn't physically present." He shuddered at the thought of his conversation with Sloane.

"_There's a cabinet in the room to your right. You will find the potion you need to make it easier for Sydney to allow you to fulfill the prophecy. I suggest you use it at night, the potion will make sure she'll won't remember anything for a period of four hours. That should be more than enough." _

_"What about my money?" _

_"You'll deliver us Sydney, we verify if she is indeed pregnant. If this is the case I will wire you the money on the spot." Sloane had grinned. _

_"It's funny really, I always thought you had thing for Sydney. A little boy's crush on the only girl smart enough to play the same games." Sark had clenched his teeth together, trying to remain as calm as he should. _

_"I must say, I was rather intrigued, especially since she's Irina's daughter." _

_"I never came to know how you ended up as her protégé. Tell me how did you end up with her?" Sloane received an ice cold glare. _

_"I can't see how this is relevant, therefore I feel no need to explain."_

_ "I am curious though. How did you came to know Elena was the head of The Covenant?"_

_ "Irina contacted me, warning me to stay away from Sydney or else…She was the one to tell me her eldest sister was the one in charge."_

_ "Apparently her threats didn't have much effect." _

_"Not in the slightest, it simply gave me the opportunity I'd been waiting for." _

_"Well, now that this is settled, you should know we'll be keeping a close watch. We're all very excited to finally see the Rambaldi fulfilled." He felt bile coming up his throat and had trouble keeping his voice steady. _

_"You'll hear from me soon." He threw up the moment he entered the next room. The thought of Sloane watching him and Sydney, his perverted smile. He felt his stomach constrict again, he needed to be Sydney, needed to know she was okay, to take her away from all of this. From Sloane, out of his sight, preferably forever. He'd left the building in a hurry, taking the cursed potion with him. _

He had gone straight to her room, desperate to hold her and never let go. Before he'd reached the hotel he'd known he would take her to his home. He helped her pack her bags, waiting her to finish, taking her with him to his room. He wouldn't let her out of his sight, he could see he was scaring her, when they were safe he would tell her. She needed to know, he couldn't keep it to himself anymore. Otherwise she would never understand why he cared so much and was so desperate to keep her safe. His string of thoughts was interrupted by Sydney pulling by his shoulder.

"Julian, will you please tell me why we're leaving?" She was pleading him to explain himself.

"I will once we're there, not now Sydney. I will tell you everything, but please trust me and just come with me." For the second time that night she agreed, still worried about his behavior.

They left from Gare du Nord with the first Thalys that morning, reaching Amsterdam only a few hours later. After Sark had made sure they weren't being followed they proceeded to his home.

It was still early in the morning when they arrived. Sark had escorted her to her room, both of them were tired from their sleepless night. Finally Sark felt enough at ease to leave her to herself. It confused her, seeing him this way, wondering why he was so protective all of the sudden. She was a little disappointed actually that now that they were here he could leave her, just when she had felt the need to have him close to her. It was 8.30 in the morning when Sydney fell asleep, still longing for his touch.

**A/N: The Thalys is a high speed train that starts in Amsterdam and from there it goes through Belgium to France. It's one of the quickest ways to get to Amsterdam from Paris. And please be so kind to leave a review! Thanks you guys are awesome for reading this! **


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: So it took me a day extra to finish up this chapter and I haven't even checked it twice, so forgive me for all the grammar errors. But do enjoy!** **It's finally the chapter in which most things are explained.**

Sark had been copying the pages of the Rambaldi manuscript and left the pages on the dinner table. She'd been sorting through them for the last half hour. The amount of paper was simply too much for her. She needed a stapler, hopefully that would significantly reduce the mess. Sark had just left to get some groceries, she decided the best place to look was in his office, which was locked, but hopefully he would forgive her for breaking in for a stapler. She went through the drawers of his desk, the second one was a hit. Everything was well organized and the could see the stapler at the back of the drawer, she took it but when she withdrew her hand she could feel the back of her hand brush against something which didn't belong to the drawer. She let her fingers inspect the top of the drawer and retrieved the object. It was a photo, it looked like it had been folded and fumbled lots of times. To say that Sydney was shocked by the image it showed would be an understatement. Because it contained both Sydney and Sark in a loving embrace, Sydney wearing the wedding dress from her dream and Sark in a tuxedo. She gasped for air, a tear rolled down her cheek.

When Sark entered the house it was already dark, but no lights had been turned on. It was awfully quiet. When he looked through the hall he saw that the door to his study was unlocked. He grabbed his gun and slowly entered. The lamp on his desk was the only thing illuminating the room. In his desk chair he could make out her figure, curled up in a ball, softly sobbing.

"Sydney?" He questioned, unsure as to why she was crying. She looked up, he could see her eyes were red and puffy. She had trouble speaking through her tears.

"That dream I had a few weeks ago?"

"Yes?"

"Apparently that wasn't a dream." She shoved the picture in his direction. His mouth fell open and his eyes went large. She remembered! He ran to her, wanting to hold her, but she held him off.

"Please don't. I've suffered enough betrayal already." Her hands were shaking.

"Why did you betray me too?" Sark stared at her in bewilderment, realizing she must not remember everything after all.

"You don't remember all of it, do you?" She shook her head.

"Sydney you must know that not being able to tell for these past twelve years, were hell. Seeing you on so many occasions and not being able to share this." She looked at him unable to comprehend his words. He extended his hand.

"Come, let's sit somewhere more comfortable and I'll tell you everything." Gone was the trademark smirk, cold and distant eyes. She saw now in full what before had come only as glimpses. His mask was gone and all that was left was boyish charm and sparkling blue eyes. She let him lead her to his quarters, where he sat next to her on a plush couch.

"What do you remember, from your dream?" She ran her hand over the soft fabric of the couch and smiled shyly.

"I guess we were at the park, where you told me about what happened in Amsterdam. I was 17, wore a wedding dress. You were there, wearing a tux and holding me. You were younger than the first time I'd met you. You told me that your grandmother once took you to that park and that you had wanted to return ever since, you were hoping to return there more often with me. I was questioning whether 'she' would let us. I thought that I was referring to Irina and then you kissed me. Another time I dreamed we were in your garden and a third time I was descending the stairs in a wedding dress. That was all."

She averted her eyes in embarrassment, but Sark lifted her chin and made her turn her head towards him. She looked up and met blue eyes full of tears.

"Don't be embarrassed. Those moments were real. They did really happen." She almost started crying again.

"What happened?"

"Please let me explain." His hands now took hers and he squeezed them lightly.

"I've told you this once already, but since you won't remember it's important that I tell you." Sydney nodded, eager for answers, but still afraid more hurt would follow.

"My mother died giving birth to Julia, our father wasn't much of a father. He was never around and when he was, he was physically abusive." Sydney remembered Julia's story all too well.

"Julia told me what he did to her." Sark bit his lip for a second his expression darkened for a second.

"Yes, that was the main reason I had no trouble having him killed." His tone was harsher. "I told myself when I found out about Julia, that I would make him pay." He let out a sigh.

"After my mother's death he was nowhere to be found, Julia and I were brought here, to my grandmother's house. A year later she died too. Leaving my sister and me all her fortune, but no one to take care of us. My father arranged for me to be shipped off to boarding school. No one would tell me what would happen to my baby sister. I was sixteen when I finished my education." He narrowed his eyes.

"My talents had peaked the interest of your mother. She approached me, told me that she had kept an eye on me during my time at school and asked me if I would like to see the world in a way that most people would never see it. I had felt lost, and there it was…The opportunity of a lifetime, waiting for me the moment I set foot out of the prison I had been living in for so long. She took me in, trained me and finally trusted me enough to do missions." Sydney could see him dreaming away.

"It was incredible, I loved it and was great at it. You must understand that never had a purpose in life, my education hadn't provided me with any difficulty or challenge. Spying provided me the challenge I had been desperately seeking."

Sydney was amazed to see hear him speak about his life, his past en seeing such honesty she realized they were so much alike. She too had been bored during her study, getting straight A's even when she had started spying. She needed the spying to make her feel alive, to make her feel like she was using the gifts she was given.

"I trusted your mother, but then the first time she explained something to me about Rambaldi. She told me about his inventions and their value. I thought she had gone insane, until she sent me to retrieve an artifact. I was amazed to see such cleverness, invented hundreds of years ago. Irina became like a mother to me, but I didn't know much about her, or her life before I got to know her. Until one day I came back with an artifact, which was like a map to Rambaldi's endgame. Written in his invisible ink. We discovered it was just half of the map, when we finally came into possession of a vial that could make it visible your mother was very excited."

Absently he began stroking her hands, drawing circles with his thumbs.

"In the middle of the page a picture of a woman appeared. Your mother fainted." His eyes stared straight into Sydney's.

"When she regained her consciousness she whispered your name. It was the first time I heard of you. She didn't tell me what it meant, but I knew the words under the picture had only one possible explanation…The Chosen One."

Sydney's eyes grew large and she opened her mouth to speak, but Sark stopped her with a single finger to her mouth.

"Shush, I will tell you everything, my love. Please let me finish, I doubt you'll have any questions left when I'm through." She saw his soft expression and slowly shut her mouth.

"After that, your mother disappeared for a week. When she returned she explained to me that she had worked for the KGB, that they had send her on a mission to marry a CIA officer, rising in rank. That she had succeeded in her mission and the marriage had resulted in a daughter. You. She broke down in tears and told me that the image that was depicted on the map was the spitting image of that daughter. She had been keeping taps on you for years and seeing that you were involved in the Rambaldi prophecy made her change her plans. Before that she was after power, having all the right information to blackmail everyone and anyone. She realized that being The Chosen One came with great danger, and you were in need of protection. She had found a communion of Rambaldi followers, all of them spies. Dedicated to finding and protecting The Chosen One. Their objective was to find you and have one of them marry you, so you were to be protected at all times." Sark let out a large breath.

"She found out you were supposed to go to France that summer, she intercepted you as you were switching planes, here at Schiphol. She convinced you that she'd been working for the CIA and that she had faked her death to protect you. You of course were thrilled and stunned to be reunited with her. She explained the situation to you, showed you what Rambaldi's inventions could do and how his prophecies had been right almost every time. You were really confused, but agreed to be married in order to guarantee your safety. Although at that point you would have agreed to almost anything. You were so excited to see her again." He bit his lip, doubting how much details would matter to her.

"Your mother made me join the Rambaldi order, I was to present them with the map and then with you. Because I would be the one to have found you and we almost had the same age, you were to be married to me. So while your mother was making contact with the order, arranging the whole plan she left us mostly to ourselves. Right here in this home. I never had any intrest in a girl before. I was disgusted about the way boys from my study talked about girls. But when you came I was immediately intrigued. Your mother was devious woman, while you were so innocent, you were sweet, and horribly naïf. I loved you for it. You were afraid and in dire need to sort out your emotions, so we talked for hours. We soon found out we had a lot in common, we went for walks on the beach. The same beach you ended up a few months ago actually." Sydney could see the warmth in his expression, she realized these were happy memories for him. Memories she was part of.

"You were the first and only person I ever told about my past, you were the only one that would understand. Your mother had been gone since you were six and your dad had been gone since that time, burying himself in his work. You had been alone for such a long time. I could relate, we had a connection. So when the day came that we were to be married, it didn't feel like it was just for show and we were just strangers. It was like we'd know each other for years. After the wedding ceremony I took you to Elswout, the park where you knocked me out and dreamed about. You really wanted know what was going to happen now, because your mother had been suspiciously quiet about that. We chose not to think on it, hoping your mother would have a plan for our future. She did." His voice turned a little bitter.

"I woke up the next morning and you were gone. It turned out your mother had planned for me to fall for you all along. To ensure not only your safety, but also my loyalty to her. Her plan was for me and her to find all the Rambaldi artifacts and manuscripts and destroy them. To see if there was anything further prophesized about The Chosen One. Irina told me you were on a plane back to the States. That she had made sure you wouldn't remember any of it. This way the Rambaldi order would still protect you if necessary, but you wouldn't be aware of it. Surely she didn't want your father to find out she was still alive. According to her you would never remember any of it, and I would never see you again unless you would need protection. She made me go undercover at FTL headquarters, infiltrating it so one day I would be able to take it down.

After years Irina had finally build up the necessary man force to take down FTL and rate SD-6 at the same time. Only the raid at SD-6 didn't go as planned as you're aware. And then a second ampul was offered, I was captured by SD-6. Then Paris, and there you were, with that ridiculous hair. You touched me, it was laughable really. You had no idea, none at all. And no idea as to what you did to me. I simply told myself you weren't the same person I had met all those years ago. You gave me no indications whatsoever that you had any idea of who I was. When Irina walked into the CIA and gave me her plan to elaborate with Sloane I was thrilled, because it meant working with you. But before that, I saw you that ice cave and in Minsk and I realized you only saw me as an enemy, hated me for being the bad guy. Later when we were on a mission in Paris, it tortured me. To be so close to you, not being able to tell you and not once seeing the person I fell in love with. You would never know."

He paused for a bit, retreating his hands from hers. She could tell he felt ashamed and pulled him into her arms.

"If only I'd known." She sighed.

"It made me angry and hate you, Sydney." Sark whispered.

"When your mother returned and saw my hatred she warned me that if I ever harmed you or harm were to come to you while I was nearby, she would slowly dismember me until I would beg to killed."

Sydney by now couldn't keep the tears from falling, letting them freely rolling down her cheeks. Sark had trouble keeping his own tears from flowing. He'd been wanting to tell her for so long.

"Paris wasn't the first time." Her voice was soft, barely audible. He frowned, pulled back from their embrace, letting their eyes meet.

"I saw you the night you murdered the head of K-directorate. And it was me who took the boat away just days later when you were to be handed the Rambaldi manuscript. Also I was the one in Denpassar."

"With the latajang, that was really you? I thought it was just my imagination, but you never cease to amaze me." He kissed her soft hair, twirling her long locks with his fingers.

"When I was in prison, the first time. I was questioned about your disappearance, I knew nothing. Only your father seemed to believe you were alive even after your remains were identified and your ashes spread. He came to me countless times, asking me over and over again. I wondered if he knew, if he could see. But he didn't, so there I was, thinking you were dead. I gave them every bit of information I had, piece by piece. In the hope that one day Irina would come to rescue me. After two years, there you suddenly were. Standing outside my cell, you hadn't changed one bit. Even though you didn't know about us, I was so grateful for you to be alive. I had a reason to live again."

He let out a sigh. "But then The Covenant came and you immediately went running back to Vaughn. I seemed to have no choice in working for The Covenant, and then I found out who Lauren truly was. I was already filled with jealousy towards Vaughn, so in my own stupidity I tried to take her as something that was his, only I made it worse. It only drove him back to you. When you came into my cell looking like Lauren, I could tell it was you. I thought I knew you well enough. Apparently Denpassar proves that I didn't. I gave Lauren up, it was the only thing I could do. Being locked up again gave me time to think, it made me realize that if I ever was going to have a chance with you again you would need to see the old me again. Reconnect with me, therefor I couldn't be my alias anymore. Honestly I didn't know where to start, until APO needed me to lead them to CRF headquarters. You kissed me, and bit me." His lips were drawn into a large grin. Sydney blushed profusely, embarrassed by her own way of punishing him for making her dress up as Lauren.

"I knew Anna was pretty much your archenemy from the SD-6 days, so I saw my chance to redeem myself in your eyes. Hoping that one day you would be mine again. And that my dear Sydney, is the whole story."

He waited for her, for anything. Sydney managed to control her sobbing and found the strength to speak.

"All this time?" A smile through all the tears.

"So that is why you could never get your aim straight when it came to me." He could only smile back, he felt that a single tears had escaped from the corner of his eye. Sydney caught it before it had reached the level of his mouth and took him into her arms again.

"If I had just known, that all of this time you were protecting me…I'm so sorry, Julian." He knew she was still processing, he hadn't expected her to believe him, nor had he dared to hope that she would wanted to hold him after this. He held her even tighter, afraid the moment she would let go, all of this would be over.

She loosened herself from him and directly saw fear spread over his face. He had been her equal, had frustrated her, but she had admired his skills nonetheless. Knowing the heartache he suffered because of her, that he'd been looking out for her. Without his mask, Sark looked like a man exasperated and fearful that his dream would end after such a long time, with the tiniest bit of hope. She leaned in and kissed him, softly, letting him know that she wasn't leaving. It took him a second to register what was happening, her lips that he'd been dying for since their flight to Paris where exploring his, begging for feedback. He gave in, willing to still the hunger that he'd been feeling ever since he decided to get her back.

**A/N: Let me know what you think! And I wasn't planning on writing any smut. But I won't skip over everything, so next chapter will continue exactly where we've left of.**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: I know this is horribly short and I feel awful for letting you guys wait for such a long time. Right now I'm doing my last bachelor course after which I will be done for the summer. Because I'm still trying to fill up the gap between the scences I've already written it takes longer than I hoped it would. So next time I post it will not only be longer, but also a lot better. **

Last time:

_She loosened herself from him and directly saw fear spread over his face. He had been her equal, had frustrated her, but she had admired his skills nonetheless. Knowing the heartache he suffered because of her, that he'd been looking out for her. Without his mask, Sark looked like a man exasperated and fearful that his dream would end after such a long time, with the tiniest bit of hope. She leaned in and kissed him, softly, letting him know that she wasn't leaving. It took him a second to register what was happening, her lips that he'd been dying for since their flight to Paris where exploring his, begging for feedback. He gave in, willing to still the hunger that he'd been feeling ever since he decided to get her back_

Her tongue was demanding entry, which he was more than willing to grant. All of the sudden Sydney pulled back, her face filled with confusion. He cursed on the inside, she probably had changed her mind.

"Are we still married?" Her question caught him slightly off-guard as he realized she hadn't changed her mind about him, at least so he thought.

"Yes." He replied, slightly out of breath.

"We never did have our wedding night, now did we?" He shook his head. Sydney started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Sydney, what are you…" He didn't have chance to finish his sentence as Sydney smothered him with a searing kiss. Ripping apart the last buttons of his shirt she straddled him. She only released him to whisper in his ear.

"I think my intend was more than obvious."

**(No M rating, no smut. Sorry! Not my cup of tea…)**

The first thing that Sydney became aware of was a strong arm wrapped protectively around her stomach. The second was a large pressing bulge against her bottom. The events of the previous night immediately came back to her. His explanation, her kissing him and then…she slept with him. She slept with Sark! Actually she slept with her husband, for the first time…

A sudden bolt of pain went through her head. She realized it then, that she remembered. Everything from the period that had been erased by her mother was back. Emotion overcame her and she turned and faced the blond and messy curls accompanied by the sweetest most at peace expression she'd ever seen on a human being. Careful not to wake him she stroked his hair.

"I did love you." She whispered. He stirred and soon two eyes, still clouded with sleepiness met hers.

"Morning, love." She'd never seen him this relaxed. He stretched an began tracing circles over her bare arms.

"I remember." She stated softly.

"Well it was a night one would hardly forget." She grinned. "No, not that my Russian prince." Sark's expression changed immediately.

"Your grandmother used to call you that."

"You…you remember?" He stuttered. "After all this time, you just remembered?" She nodded. He pulled her in for a quick kiss and went back to staring at her.

"You never cease to amaze me Sydney Bristow. I know you never will." Softly he cupped her cheek and pressed an even softer kiss on her lips. He continued with the same kisses on her cheek and neck, he stopped when he felt Sydney stiffen.

"What?"

"You said my mother erased my memory, but they were still there, just repressed. Like the door to them was closed, but the moment I realized we slept together that door was wide open…" He growled.

"Irina." Sydney nodded, but smiled again.

"Still, I have them back. I have you back."

"You're right, still I feel like killing her. Perhaps we should invite her over, maybe have your father tag along. I'm sick of these silly games of hers."

Sydney had a more serious expression on her face.

"That was why you were so freaked out yesterday, because you really loved me." His guilty look said more than his words ever would.

"The thought of Sloane having you, giving you to him, it just…" He swallowed as he felt a lump forming in his throat.

"I needed to be with you, take you away from everything and everyone. Away from all of this. I still want that Sydney, can we please just stay here. Forget about Rambaldi and just never return." She bit her lip and brought his head down to her chest, fully embracing him.

"You know we can't, eventually Sloane will find us and then he'll know about Julia too. Our only option is to strike now when we have the upper hand and Sloane expects your cooperation. It's all we have." He knew she was right, still he silently cursed Sloane and Irina for all their games and obsessions.

After calling her parents Sydney and Sark has spent most of their time in bed to make up for their lost time. Both dreaded the moment Jack and Irina would arrive, they would have to return to reality, but for now they enjoyed each other's company in the hope soon they would never have to fear for madmen like Sloane.

**Yes I know, waaaaay too short. Still let me know what you thought of it and I promise more drama and sweet moments will follow next chapter. **


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: I am so so sorry for making you guys wait for so long. I've finally found the time to fill the gaps between the parts I had written. And only finished it a minute ago, so please don't hate me for any grammar errors. I've been so busy learning for my last two bachelor finals. So now I only have to do plantphysiology and I'll have time to finish this up. So, forgive me also for making some of the things short and yes there is a five week gap in this chapter, but I will have flashbacks to that time so the happy memories will be spread all through the story. **

**Oh and please look up the song in between. It's also on the Pinterest site, but just please. I love that song and waited so long before I had the chance to show the scene it inspired. It's Signs by Bloc Party so have your Youtube ready. **

It had been one the most awkward moments in her life. Sitting in Sark's living room next to him on the couch. Across from them her parents, both with a very stoic expressions on their faces. The heavy silence was deafening, until Sark let out a large sigh and changed his position.

"Okay let's make this a little bit more easier. Irina, have you told Jack about what happened between Sydney and me?" Irina folded her hands in her lap.

"Last night, you mean?" Sark rolled his eyes. He fell right into that. He shouldn't have expected anything else from her when he'd called her and told her Sydney remembered. Jack's face had begun to take a nice shade of red.

"You know damn well what I meant. And besides I think you're calling the kettle black. Considering." He'd seen Irina eye Jack with beastly hunger in the office and assumed she had no trouble in wrapping him in her web again.

"Yes, I did. I actually did when you first rescued me." Finally a straight answer. This would help to speed things up.

"Thank you, so well besides the fact that we're married and for the first time in 12 years were both aware of that we needed you here for some different news. "

For the first time since his arrival Jack spoke up.

"I take it your mission failed since you left Paris in a hurry."

Sark tightened his lips.

"No, not exactly. I killed Cole, Sloane was physically not there, but he gave me the potion and instructed me to make sure she was with child before I would deliver her. I just left after that." He could see Jack narrow his eyes.

"Then why did you leave Paris?" Sark averted his gaze.

"I didn't want Sydney to be anywhere near him." Sydney took his hand and squeezed it, reassuring him it had been the right thing.

Irina snickered. "Perhaps it's good thing I've thought of a plan." Sydney immediately turned her look upon her mother.

"No." She spoke firmly. "I've had enough of your plans for a lifetime. We came up with a plan of our own. There will be no deviations from this plan, no tricks, no schemes or I swear I will kill you myself. I'm done with your manipulation under the guise of protecting me. I'm a grown woman, an intelligence agent for the last decade. Stop mothering me and start by listening and following my lead."

Sydney was absolutely furious, ever since Sark had told her the truth she wondered how her mother could have kept this from her all these years. Why she had chosen to torment Sark with it, other than to teach him a lesson. Ever since she learned the truth about her she had known Irina Derevko was a cruel woman, still it surprised her every time.

"In five weeks Sark will make contact with Sloane. He'll agree to deliver unconscious. Once we've confirmed Sloane's presence we eliminate him. In the meanwhile dad will infiltrate the facility and rig the building with explosives."

Irina lifted her eyebrows. "And what will my part be in this?"

"You will have no part in this operation. We can't risk anyone seeing us working with you. The whole division will be prosecuted for cooperating with a terrorist. We don't want the head of the CIA to find out about you. So for now I suggest you go back to wherever you were hiding out before and make sure dad has a way to contact you."

Irina leaned back, studying her. "Then why exactly did you want me here?"

"Because unlike you, I value honesty with the people I love and hate keeping secrets from them. I needed you here to know that I'm done with that. That we can't defeat Sloane with such secrets between us. So to the both of you, if there's still some secret that you've kept from me you can tell it right know and all will be forgiven. Or I will find out someday, and you know I will, and I will be done with you for the rest of your lives. And honestly, I really hoped that one day you would be there to see your grandkids."

Sark couldn't help but smile. He loved it when she was so fierce and passionate, she was so real.

A moment of silence passed. The moment Sydney opened her mouth to conclude the whole thing her father spoke up. "Your mother and I are thinking of retiring together."

Stunned Sydney's gaze went from her father to her mother and back. She moved her lips to form a sentence, but came up lost for words and could eventually utter a simple "What?!"

Irina took Jack's hand. "We've had our years of action and power play. We both wanted out years ago, but keeping you safe kept us from leaving the business. If Sloane was killed we feel that we could leave it up to Julian to keep you safe."

Sark became really amused both at Sydney's reaction, Jack's redness and Irina's playful smile. "Well congratulations to the both of you." He said.

When Sark had closed the door behind her parents he felt Sydney wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"I must say that went better than I expected." He felt her letting out a big sigh.

"That depends on what you expected, because in my eyes it really didn't." He chuckled.

"Well I did kind of expect your father to at least torture and threaten me, he did neither, but he seemed rather occupied following your mom around like a lost puppy." He felt her shiver.

"Please don't say that, it's making me sick. I'm still in shock." He turned and took her hands.

"What you didn't see it coming at all?" She shook her head.

"No, not at all. I thought he would never trust her again. I mean, he killed her heaven's sake."

He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Maybe losing her for good made him realize he couldn't lose her. That he needed her." Embarrassed she smiled a little.

"Are we still talking about my parents?"

"Maybe." He planted a soft kiss on the small of her neck and whispered in her ear.

"Meanwhile, we have five weeks to ourselves. What do you want to do?"

"I'm here to see Arvin Sloane. I have his package." Sark rolled a gurney into the dark building. The guards checked Sydney's face with a photo. They nodded and he continued his way down the corridor. He forced himself in his cold façade that he almost had forgotten how to put on. Five weeks with Sydney had melted him into a schoolboy with a crush and he felt nervous like this was his first job.

When he finally came into a large hall he saw Sloane, standing behind a simple desk. The man still had a thing for hiding out in filthy holes.

"Julian, so glad you could make it."

Sark's mental clock told him that Sydney would only be unconscious for another minute or so. He cleared his throat twice to signal Jack that Sloane was indeed in the building.

"Yes, always a pleasure."

"And you're sure she's with child?"

Sark nodded. "Besides that it would be a miracle if she wouldn't be pregnant by now, I also had her blood tested. It contained the pregnancy hormone."

"That was very quick." Sark forced an amused smile.

"What can I say, I'm simply the best there is."

Sloane's lips formed a small line. "Yes, I like to believe you are."

In a matter of seconds Sloane held up two guns and fired Sark with one and Sydney with the other.

Sark felt a warm and fuzzy feeling spreading from the place the tranq dart had hit him. The was just able to pull one of them out before sinking to the ground.

Through his heavy eyelids he could see Sloane standing above him.

"That is why I find it so hard to believe that you didn't see this coming. I knew you were going to betray me. You should have known better, Julian. Nobody crosses me and goes unpunished." Sark could barely keep his eyes open as the sedative kicked in.

"I needed you to know that. I always knew you had a little crush on Sydney, so I figured the moment you would have your chance you would choose to get her to trust you. Smart move to get her, not so smart in crossing me. But now I have the both of you and with the Rambaldi potion it will only take a little time."

"No…" He whispered and everything went black.

"Sark! Wake up!" He felt like there was an earthquake at work. Loud whispered words were making his head explode.

"Dammit Sark! Wake up!" He heard something pop and then he was stabbed in the heart. A blunt needle injecting him with epinephrine. Immediately he sat up, almost immediately wishing he hadn't for it felt like someone had hammered him in the head.

"Aww." He groaned, while trying to counter his heartbeat by upping his breathing.

"Sydney?!" He asked as he realized Jack had been the one to revive him.

"She went after Sloane." He pulled Sark up to his feet.

"We need to run, the timer will go off in less than five minutes." Jack handed him an earpiece and the made their way out of the building.

When they got to safety Sark brought his hand to his ear.

"Sydney?" He waited for a reply. His eyes met Jacks in a worried glance.

"Where is she?"

He couldn't take it anymore, and ran back. Ignoring Jacks shouting, until Sydney's voice filled his ear.

"Julian?" She sounded tired.

"Sydney! Where are you?"

"I…I got shot in the leg, I can't walk. I'm in the last corridor, but I'm not going to make it out." He went back to running.

"No…No, don't say that. I'll come get you, and you're going to get out of there alive." He heard her sob.

"Please don't, it's too late. Don't get yourself killed. I love you Julian. Maybe it's better this way, now Rambaldi's prophecy will never come true."

"I love you too Sydney, and you're not going to die. You can't die. The hell with Rambaldi, I need to be with you for the rest of my life, I need you to carry our children. Because you're going to be a great spy mommy someday."

With everything he had he ran for the building. His mind told him it would be impossible, but his heart couldn't give up. He was almost there. He broke through the door and saw Sydney lying at the end of the hallway. Her scared look was the last thing he saw.

The explosion made him sail through the air. His ears were ringing from the blast as he landed on his back, before passing out he couldn't help but hope that he too would die, because without Sydney there was no more living for him.

**(Song = Bloc Party - Signs)**

Sark had seen the next few weeks pass as a blur. He had been questioned by Jack, scolded by Dixon. Sloane had called to threaten him, but in the end all of them had seen that the Sark before them was broken and beyond fixing. He hadn't slept a full night and the only moments he fell asleep he woke up screaming seeing Sydney disappear in the flames again.

There was a memorial, another one. Jack had given him permission to come, he had passed all their tests, he was free. But never in his life had he felt so trapped and alone. He could hear Jack say some words about her, but he couldn't recite a single word. After the service everyone left, he stayed. Jack stood next to him.

"I know you were trying to protect her, for which I give you my thanks." Sark had stood up and burst into tears.

"But it wasn't enough, wasn´t it? Goodbye."

He had left on the first plane to Bangkok, went straight to Irina's office and busted through the door. Irina didn't even look up.

"Do it." His words came out hoarse, the tears hadn't stopped since the service.

"I failed, just do it. Kill me." Irina finally looked up.

"After everything you've seen in our business, you truly believe she is gone?" Blind with anger he ran to her and almost dragged her over the table.

"I saw her die." He let go of her and sunk to the floor.

"She's gone." Irina kneeled down next to him.

"Just wait." He could barely see her through his tears.

"What do you mean?"

"She's alive." He wiped away his tears.

"How?!" She drew an arm around him.

"That order I let you enter into, that made you marry Sydney?" He nodded, exhaustion washing over him.

"I made them aware of the situation, my contact tells me they´ve extracted her. I don't know how, but wait for her. She'll surface again." His eyes met Irina's in utter unbelief and then wondered how he could ever have thought her to be dead. Sydney Bristow was simply immortal. He chuckled and embraced Irina.

"I'm sorry I ever doubter you or her. Where is she?" When he pulled back he saw her smile.

"Now where would they have taken her?" That was all he needed for an answer. Irina stood up and reached out her hand for him.

"They'll release her to you and only to you when she has recovered."

His next flight was back to his home, but not before calling Jack, who apparently had already been informed by Irina. He closed his eyes on the plane and finally sleep took him over. Happy memories filling his thoughts instead of the nightmare that had been plaguing him since the explosion.

_"What you said to your parents, about them becoming grandparents?" He could see her blushing over her breakfast. Her spoon got stuck in the air and he watched as she turned and twisted it around as she sought for words._

_ "I always wanted to be a mom, and then SD-6 came, and it never stopped. I just wanted to become a literature professor and have a family. I wanted my kids to have a mom and a dad that would be there for their kids." He stopped her spoon and held her chin so she would meet his eyes. _

_"You just wanted what you never had, and I am more than willing to give you anything you desire, especially that, because we both missed out on the same things." Her smile showed him she was reassured and touched by his words._

_ "I will never leave you again, Sydney. I promise you that." He spoke before he kissed the tip of her nose. _

_"Just don't ever leave me, because I won't survive without you anymore."_

_"I won't." She whispered as her lips sought his._

Walking though the airport he realized that tomorrow would be Christmas. His hope sunk again, feeling the loneliest man on earth. Happy couples reuniting all around him stung like a knife in his heart.

He came home to an empty home. He almost tripped over two large boxes and broke down crying again. Sydney's Christmas presents.

The next morning he was awoken by the smell of coffee, full of hope, like a little boy he ran down the stairs. He recognized another smell, pine. He opened the doors to find the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen, a large Christmas tree, fully decorated and beneath it, Sydney Bristow.

**So how was that for a chapter? I know so much happened and I didn't give it enought text/time, still I have soooo much planned. I hate not having time for this, because it requires so much puzzeling between all the pieces I've already written. Still I'm very eager to hear what you thought of it, good or bad!**


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